Through Six Practice Days…Who Has What?!

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Brett Musick

Through six days of practice, the field for the Indianapolis 500 has left spectators with nothing to be disappointed about. The weather has been cooperative allowing 9,000 some laps to be turned in six days with a full field of 33 cars all gracing the famed Brickyard with their presence. Single car runs have dominated the early portions of the day while afternoons have seen packs of at least five cars running together. The field in IndyCar for 2013 is so competitive that there is no clear favorite to win the Pole or the Race and the enigma that is the IZOD IndyCar Series grid in 2013 continues to grant no clarity.

Each weekend so far in the IZOD IndyCar Series has been a complete crap shoot of who will finish on top; a welcome problem for all of us fans who like to think that our favorite drivers have only a few other cars to worry about in a given race. It used to be that though IndyCar Series races gridded at least twenty cars each weekend that only four or five drivers had a realistic opportunity to win the race. Not so in 2013 as each member of the IndyCar grid has a realistic opportunity to find their way at the front and win the race. The stats speak for themselves.

Go ahead and poll anyone who associates with INDYCAR and ask them if they predicted, going into the Indianapolis 500, that Takuma Sato would be leading the points standings and Will Power would be sitting in 18th position with only a single top ten finish in four races with left and right turns. If they say they predicted such a situation they are lying their pants on fire. The first four races of Power’s season are no indication of his competitive pace, but rather outside influences hindering his finishing positions. This only further indicates that mistakes made in IZOD IndyCar Series races this season will cost you dearly because driving through the field is an order as tall as the Eiffel Tower.

Back to the Indianapolis 500, it seems that Chevrolet has the early jump on the speed chart but we’ve read this melodrama before. Chevrolet easily had its way in qualifications snatching the Pole and eight of the top nine positions. In fact, only Josef Newgarden was able to make the shootout at the end of Pole Day while the Ganassi operation was forced to start mid-pack. While Chevrolet was basking in the Champagne of their gross outclassment of Honda in qualifying, their Japanese compatriots were licking no wounds as they had a plan in place when race engines were installed. Ganassi Hondas drove through the field taking it to Chevrolet in the race and captured INDYCAR’s crown jewel.

The bottom line is that through thirty hours of cars turning laps and practicing on track, we have no idea what anybody has stashed in the back of their DW12s for qualifying this weekend. Teams get extra boost pressure in the turbo tomorrow so stay tuned as teams may, finally, show their hand in preparation for qualifying…but I doubt it. Rest assured this will be the closest Pole Day qualifying show in the history of the Indianapolis 500 and Honda will certainly ensure they are not left out of the party as they were a year ago.

Roger Penske Throws A Life Preserver

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Brett Musick

Roger-Penske Roger Penske, fresh off his first top level NASCAR championship, never ceases to throw curveballs into the world of Auto Racing. Penske’s IZOD IndyCar Series operation, appearing hell bent on trimming from three cars to two, never ceases to provide out-of-the-blue and surprising news. Team Penske came to realize that finding sponsorship to run three cars in 2013 was, quite possibly, and insurmountable task and subsequently released Ryan Briscoe to pursue other options after retaining three time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and perennial championship runner-up Will Power to contest the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series title. Breaking news last week changed all that.

Penske Racing announced last week that the team’s former NASCAR driver, AJ Allmendinger, would don a Penske Racing firesuit on February 19th to test one of Team Penske’s DW12 IndyCars at Sebring International Raceway. Allmendinger’s test will be overseen by Penske Racing crew members as well as full-time drivers Power and Castroneves, with the end goal to grid Allmendinger in April at Barber Motorsports Park and Long Beach. The Indianapolis 500 is also on the radar.

Recent history will regard AJ Allmendinger as a NASCAR driver, however, the native of Thornton, Colorado etched his name into the minds of team owners in the Champ Car World Series from 2004-2006. He was forded the opportunity to drive as teammate to Paul Tracy at Forsythe Racing and really made his mark on the series wining four races and capturing fourth in the final points standings and becoming a regular thorn in the side of four-time champion Sebastien Bourdais.

Allmendinger was given the opportunity to join the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2007 as a member of the new Team RedBull operation as teammate to Brian Vickers but his full-time participation only lasted the 2007 season as he was relegated to part-time status in 2008 before moving to Richard Petty Motorsports from 2009-2011. Allmendinger struck gold with the opportunity of a lifetime when Penske Racing signed him to drive for the team with sponsorship from Shell Pennzoil. The season started difficultly as team and driver worked to find the same page on setups and just when it seemed they were making some headway, Allmendinger took the proverbial .44 Magnum and shot his career in the foot. Suffering from the strain of the season, Allmendinger accepted a pill of Adderall from an acquaintance. The following race weekend at Kentucky Speedway, Allmendinger was summoned for a random drug screening as per the NASCAR rule book. Allmendinger tested positive for Amphetamines leading directly to his release from his Penske Racing contract as he completed the ‘Road to Recovery’ program and was reinstated.

AJ Allmendinger’s career looks to be headed full circle as he hopes to join the IZOD IndyCar Series in a part-time basis in 2013 eying a full-time drive for The Captain in 2014. Roger Penske runs an organization built on loyalty and family with ‘once part of the organization, always part of the organization’ as its mantra. Allmendinger handled his return from his drug suspension with the upmost professionalism which is just the kind of character Roger Penske desires and demands from all members of the Penske brand. While at the unfortunate expense of Ryan Briscoe, Allmendinger’s opportunity to join auto racing’s most successful team is a fortunate happenstance for INDYCAR as it could put an American driver at the forefront of the IZOD IndyCar Series grid which is never a bad thing when trying to build momentum and exposure.

2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Primer

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Brett Musick

As teams begin testing for the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season, it is time to get moving on some of the things to watch for as we move into February where testing will be ramping up. The 2012 season for INDYCAR was a great success with closer and safer competition, solutions to keep oval track races that eliminate the insanity but still manage to bring you to the edge of your seat, and an Indianapolis 500 that could possibly be enshrined as the best in the 101 year history of the event. But, 2013 is a new season with a lot of new and a lot of remaining the same. Looking to the new season, here are some ‘hot buttons’ to watch for as another run for the Astor Cup and the Borg Warner trophy begin once again.

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO…

The experiment bringing Lotus to INDYCAR as an engine manufacturer lasted only one season as Lotus and INDYCAR negotiated an exit for the European engine marque leaving Honda and Chevrolet with the responsibility to power the grid for the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. The 2012 season saw some of the most intense engine competition in motorsports history. So intense, in fact, that it got entangled in legal litigation and threatening lawsuits between series officials and engine manufacturers.

Chevrolet may have won the manufacturers and overall championships, but there is unfinished business as Target Chip Ganassi Racing cars won the Indianapolis 500 as well as the revival of the Grand Prix of Detroit for which Chevrolet is largely responsible. Chevrolet was caught a bit off guard by Honda’s newest generation engines debut for the Indianapolis 500 and were vastly out dueled on race day. Chevrolet will look to repeat its success on the road and street courses while improving their overall large oval performance.

Honda, conversely, would undoubtedly regard 2012 as a mis-step in their storied history in auto racing and would probably admit that Chevrolet brought the battle and perhaps underestimated the Chevrolet commitment and resolve in their first year return. The previously mentioned legal battle took place because Honda was allowed to change their turbo cover to equalize to the Chevrolet on the road courses. Honda will look to develop their engine to chase down Chevrolet on the road and street courses whilst keeping their advantage on the ovals.

DE SILVESTRO GETS HER OPPORTUNITY AS KV RACING REBOOTS

The casualty in the Lotus debacle was that Simona de Silvestro spent the entire 2012 season handcuffed by a massive horsepower deficiency that saw her parked early at the Indianapolis 500 due to insufficient pace. For 2013, de Silvestro and sponsor Nuclear Clean Air Energy move to KV Racing to partner with veteran Tony Kanaan. For the first time in de Silvestro’s IndyCar career she will have an opportunity with a proven winning team and a Chevrolet powerplant to allow her to push her limits higher and, hopefully, turn faster laps. Also of note, de Silvestro will have a teammate for the first time in her career and couldn’t have chosen a better partner than Tony Kanaan. This team, KV Racing Technology, has a real opportunity to contend for the front of the grid this upcoming season.

RAHALS UNITE

Graham Rahal must have thought he had the opportunity of a lifetime when he signed on to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing’s satellite operation in late-2010 but the marriage between Ganassi’s outfit and Rahal was never a stable relationship resulting in Graham Rahal’s release from the team for 2013. What resulted was a perfect opportunity for Graham to take his sponosorship and team up with his dad at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Finally, the Rahals unite with Honda power and look to threaten the top of the grid consistently.

PENSKE TRIMS THEIR GRID

The years of a full-time three car Team Penske juggernaut appear to be at an end. Although unconfirmed, it appears that Team Penske moves forward in 2013 with two cars piloted by perennial championship runner-up Will Power and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves while Champ Car and NASCAR veteran A.J. Allmendinger looks to join the team starting at Barber Motorsports Park as well as Long Beach and the Indianapolis 500. While at the expense of Ryan Briscoe, trimming the team could bring a less-is-more situation where Team Penske can focus on fielding two competitive cars and beating Dario Franchitti and Target Chip Ganassi to the elusive fourth Indianapolis 500 victory.

GANASSI LOOKS FOR A REBOUND

The four years between 2008 and 2011 could only be described as domination by Target Chip Ganassi Racing encompassing four consecutive championships and two Indianapolis 500 victories. 2012 was a little different as Dario Franchitti had difficulty getting a handle on the DW12 while Scott Dixon suffered some tough luck at points in the season and both drivers entered the season finale at Auto Club Speedway unable to contend for the championship, a situation not seen since 2005. Chip Ganassi’s team managed to bring home just three wins in 2012, but they did get the most important win at the Indianapolis 500 but all involved would certainly chalk the season as an overall disappointment and they will look to rebound in 2013. No one in the paddock believes the three cars from Chip Ganassi Racing will suffer consecutive difficult seasons and nor should we. Chip Ganassi Racing will, undoubtedly, be there until the end in 2013.

HUNTER-REAY, ANDRETTI LOOK TO BUILD ON AMAZING 2012

Anybody remember in 2011 when Andretti Autosport spent the month of May at Indianapolis searching like detectives for enough speed to make the show much less contend on race day? Fast forward to 2012, and my how they turned things around as they, along with Team Penske, held down the first two rows at Indianapolis and Hunter-Reay outdueled Will Power for the championship. Even with their rapid turnaround, Andretti Autosport will look to put all three cars in Victory Lane and near the top in the points standings.

RACE CONTROL

The best hire in sports in 2012 was the installment of Beaux Barfield in INDYCAR Race Control replacing Brian Barnhart. Barfield’s rules package simplified previously ambiguous and judgement-call rules such as blocking and avoidable contact by providing concrete lines in the rules that drivers could not cross. Barfield made, perhaps, the gutsiest call in sports when he red flagged the season finale at Auto Club Speedway with five laps to facilitating a finish under the green flag. For 2013, Barfield has further modified the rules to make the series easier to follow and instituted the possibility of standing starts on the double header weekends at Detroit, Toronto, and Houston. Barfield will be looked to to maintain his resolve from 2012 and police the series’ drivers accordingly.

NEW LEADERSHIP

The final hot button for 2013 is regarding new leadership at the top of INDYCAR. Regardless of where you fall on Randy Bernard resignation debate, the fact of the matter is that Jeff Belskus is now the CEO of INDYCAR and the IZOD IndyCar Series. Bernard’s departure was not handle correctly. In fact, it was downright ugly how the Indianaplis Motor Speedway Corporation proceeded with the leadership change. Belskus may be the CEO, however, Bernard’s fingerprints will be all over this season of INDYCAR Racing with the schedule and the movie ‘Turbo’ coming out later this summer, which, if handled correctly, could be a huge boost for the INDYCAR brand. Belskus has been given the foundation to have a great season of competition and only needs to facilitate what Randy Bernard has left right in front of him. What is desperately needed in INDYCAR is a liaison from the governing body of INDYCAR to its drivers and team owners. The driver liaison has been, at least partially, fulfilled as Barfield has good relationship with the series’ drivers, but Belskus must institute a bridge between his office at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the team owners in the Paddock every weekend if history will record him as a successful leader.

2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Awards: Best Oval Track Race

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Brett Musick

This is the first in a series of IZOD IndyCar Paddock Pass awards posts. Stay tuned for more awards!

BRONZE MEDAL: AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY’S MAVTV 500

In an effort to replace Las Vegas Motor Speedway as host for the INDYCAR World Championships, the IZOD IndyCar Series turned to Auto Club Speedway to close their 2012 campaign. Bringing a combination of the Speedway wing package used at Indianapolis and low downforce used at Texas, the show was sure to be interesting. Throw into the mix that the championship was coming down to the wire as Will Power entered the event with a 17-point lead on Ryan Hunter-Reay, but, as IndyCar Series campaigns have shown consistently, it isn’t over until the checkered flag falls and the MAVTV 500 became a prime example. Both championship contenders suffered ill handling race cars and combined with grid penalties for engine changes, both started back in the pack. The race took a dramatic turn on lap 55:

Battling with rival Hunter-Reay, Will Power attempted to make a low side pass, got loose, and spun into the turn 2 wall changing the entire scope of this race. Hunter-Reay immediately had the best opportunity to win the championship but still needed to complete 195 laps and finish 5th, after Verizon Team Penske was able to repair Power’s car enough to run enough laps to make up one position, to score enough points to win the championship. The race was drama filled to the end capped of by a gutsy ‘red flag’ call by Beaux Barfield to give the race the opportunity to end under green flag conditions. Ed Carpenter managed to snatch the race from Dario Franchitti while Hunter-Reay grabbed the title from the clutches of Will Power.

SILVER MEDAL: 96TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 MILE RACE

It might be considered a travesty to not have the Indianapolis 500 as the winner of this award every season. The 2012 rendition of the 500 mile marathon just outside downtown Indianapolis could be enshrined as the best race in the event’s 100+ year history. The Chevy vs. Honda ‘Turbogate’ saga had been accepted and Honda’s new turbo cover had been approved my IndyCar’s technical department, but when Pole Day came around it looked as though it didn’t even matter as Josef Newgarden was the only Honda to crack the top-9 in qualifying. The race turned out to be a different story as the brand new Honda engines installed for the 500 miles seemed to have new life. The race began as a battle between Ryan Briscoe and James Hinchcliffe with Marco Andretti holding the lead through the middle stages of the race. Then Honda and Chip Ganassi Racing began to show their muscle.

On the final lap, Takuma Sato attempted to pass Dario Franchitti in turn 1 when he spun hitting the wall giving the race win to the Scot followed closely by teammate Scott Dixon and KV Racing’s Tony Kanaan. A race filled with close competition that set an event record for lead changes ended like the greatest stories ever told. The unenviable backdrop to the 2012 Indianapolis 500 was paying tribute to Dan Wheldon and the race ended with all three of Wheldon’s former teammates and best friends crossing the bricks three wide under caution for the most fitting tribute of all to Dan’s legacy.

GOLD MEDAL: FIRESTONE 550 AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

As drama-filled and exciting as the Indianapolis 500 was, how could any event unseat it as the best oval race of 2012?

The award for best oval track race goes to the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway for a very simple reason. In the wake of the tragedy of Las Vegas, there was much apprehension and questions about the viability of IndyCars racing on the high banked 1.5 mile oval tracks that helped make IndyCar Racing famous, at least in the recent history of the sport. In order to remain relevant and draw fans, the schedule’s balance between ovals and road courses must be retained.

The tension was mounting in the Paddock as the first practice inched closer and closer. Drivers said they would no longer participate in pack racing on the ovals but elected to grid at Texas because they are professionals. The beauty of the new DW12 chassis is that it has a wealth of aerodynamic options to add or remove downforce. In conjunction with the drivers, IndyCar’s technical department came to Texas with a low-downforce package that would require drivers to lift in the turns instead of holding the throttle flat. This became an instantaneous solution for the pack racing and brought some serious excitement as cars were coming and going all the time. This was also a race for the ‘little guys’ as the Pole was won by Alex Tagliani while Justin Wilson took the race win for Dale Coyne Racing after Graham Rahal grazed the turn 4 wall with two laps to go.

This race gets top honors for 2012 oval track races because of what it means for the future of the sport. Leading up to the race, drivers said they would run the race but they would also be very happy to leave when it was over, but fast forward to after the race was complete and the attitude changed to ‘we want to do this again’. Justin Wilson may have crossed the finish line first, but the big winners in this race was the sport itself and its fans. Oval tracks are here to stay and make no mistake that the results of Texas had direct correlation to the addition of Pocono Raceway in 2013. A big ‘Thank You’ goes to Eddie Gossage for sticking with IndyCar through all the talk of configuration, pack racing, and fence talk to host IndyCar Paddock Pass’s ‘Best Oval’ of 2012.

CHAMPIONSHIP Preview: Auto Club Speedway

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Brett Musick

NASCAR opens their ten race Chase at Chicagoland, but this is Open-Wheel’s weekend! Fourteen races in the books for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series and it all comes down to this weekend at Auto Club Speedway for the MAVTV 500 on Saturday night! This will be the ultimate test for the two teams vying for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series championship as the IndyCar season concludes on the 2-Mile oval track located an hours drive outside Los Angeles. The last time IndyCar graced the facility with its presence was 2005 in the season finale won by Dario Franchitti and crowning the late Dan Wheldon the series champion, although Wheldon sealed the championship the week before. The 2012 IndyCar World Championships mark seventh consecutive season that the championship will be decided in the final round with no Chase, Countdown, or Overtime required.

WILL POWER VS. RYAN HUNTER-REAY

There were 26 driver/car combinations entered for the first race at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Peterburg, but it all comes down to two drivers at Auto Club Speedway. Will Power enters the weekend with a 17-point lead over Ryan Hunter-Reay, the only other driver who could walk away from the MAVTV 500. While Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon remain, currently, eligible for the championship they will be mathematically eliminated once Will Power completes his qualifying run as Power will be guaranteed a starting position and enough points to eliminate those two drivers once the green flag falls. No matter which driver walks away with the championship, it will be a great story to cap an incredible IndyCar season.

Will Power began his open-wheel career in Champ Car capturing four wins with Team Australia, but was left without a car to drive when sponsorship contracts were not renewed. Then, in 2009, The Captain, Roger Penske, came calling to hire him as a replacement for Helio Castroneves until he was able to return. Power has been a top contender for the IndyCar championship since joining Team Penske full-time in 2010. In that time, Power has amassed fourteen victories and finished runner-up in the final points standing the past two seasons. Power has had the field covered for much of the last three years, however, he has fallen just short of the series title. Truth be told, Power has wiped the pavement with the rest of the field on road and street courses, but his downfall has been performance on oval tracks where he has just one victory. Place on top of the pile that Power has never competed at the Fontana track and his first time on the track was a test the week prior. Through his own mistakes or bad luck, Power is notorious for choking in season finale races but this could be the year that Power’s season long work is finally rewarded with a series championship but he must be bolstered for a fight to the end.

Ryan Hunter-Reay enters the finale trailing Will Power by 17 points. Hunter-Reay’s history in racing has been turbulent at best. Hunter-Reay joined Champ Car in 2003 and became a journeyman until 2005 when he was released from the Rockesports team with two rounds to go. He, then, joined A1GP for 2006 into 2007 until being hired to replace Jeff Simmons in the Rahal Letterman Racing IndyCar which he drove in 2008 to the Chase Rookie of the Year at the Indianapolis 500 but sponsorship dried up and Hunter-Reay was left without a ride for 2009. Hunter-Reay joined Vision Racing as teammate for Ed Carpenter and had to scratch and claw his way into the Indianapolis 500 after which he moved to AJ Foyt Racing replacing the injured Vitor Meira. Hunter-Reay got his break in 2010 signing to drive for Andretti Autosport with funding from IZOD. With IZOD only a partial season deal, Andretti stuck his neck out for American driver scrapping enough money together to run the full season. DHL/SunDrop came onboard for the full campaign in 2011 where Hunter-Reay failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, coming under scrutiny for “stealing” Bruno Junqueira’s qualified car. If Hunter-Reay wins the championship, all of his perseverance will be rewarded, maybe not on the timetable Ryan envisioned, but a reward nonetheless. Hunter-Reay would also be the first American driver to win the IndyCar crown since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006.

TEAM PENSKE VS. ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT

If the finale were on a road course, 17 points would be deemed difficult if not insurmountable, but this is an oval track with higher speeds, high banks, and points can come and go quickly. Hunter-Reay currently leads the Oval Championship, bolstered by short-track wins at Milwaukee and Iowa, but Auto Club Speedway is a different animal. The IZOD IndyCar technical department along with the drivers developed an aerodynamic baseline using the wing package, shown below, utilized at Indianapolis combined with the low underwing downforce used at Texas Motor Speedway to inhibit pack racing and putting the car in the driver’s hands.

The Firestone tire compound is expected to be similar to Texas so cars will be coming and going in much the same fashion. Teammates could be the lynchpin to this Championship. Power has allies in Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe while Hunter-Reay can rely on Hinchcliffe, Andretti, and Saavedra. On paper, the teammate advantage goes heavily in favor of Team Penske as Castroneves is the only driver to compete at Auto Club Speedway of those listed and Briscoe is close behind in oval experience and success.

500 MILE SPECTACLE UNDER THE SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

What separates this race from other championship finales is that it is a marathon. The race is 250 laps and 500 miles in length, by far the longest final race in series history. The race will begin in the failing light, move into twilight, and end under the lights so adjusting the car as the track temperature changes will be of paramount importance to the contenders for the championship or the race win. The race will require seven or eight pit stops so the pressure is on the crew to execute these changes quickly to put their driver in a position toward the front.

This is going to be an EPIC finale to the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season and anything can happen once the green flag falls. There will be 26 cars vying for positions in this race and only seven of them give a rip about the championship which leaves opportunity for drivers outside the championship hunt to cause problems for the contenders. Everyone knows this offseason is going to be long and they will all be looking for a positive result as they park their cars for 2012. Tune in to NBC Sports Network at 7:30 eastern time Saturday night for all the action!

OTHER NOTES: AJ Foyt Racing driver, Mike Conway, revealed his extensive discomfort for oval racing surrendering the No. 14 ABC Supply car to Wade Cunningham this weekend. Conway’s IndyCar future is unknown at this time.

Legendary motorsports announcer Bob Jenkins will be calling his final race for the forseeable future on Saturday. Jenkins has brought a professional, endearing, and exciting flavor to IndyCar broadcasts since taking on the anchor role in 2010. May his journey after Saturday be swift and fruitful and we’ll see him at Indianapolis next May.

A Brewing Dilemma for Roger Penske…

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Brett Musick

Roger Penske has an enviable dilemma on his hands as the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season races toward its conclusion. The dilemma is what to do with his team for 2013. In 2012, Team Penske has won six of the fourteen completed races and captured Pole in eight. As of now, Will Power is the only driver confirmed in Team Penske stable for 2013 and Castroneves’ three Indianapolis 500 victories give him favorable odds he will, again, pilot the No. 3 entry for Team Penske next season. That begs the question of what is planned for the No. 2 car that was piloted to Victory Lane in Sonoma by Ryan Briscoe. As always, Penske has many options to cultivate.

BET ON BRISCOE

Of the impending free agent class, Briscoe is definitely in the top echelon of drivers available. Briscoe has proven pace and ability in the IZOD IndyCar Series evidenced by his win at Sonoma and the Pole at Indianapolis, but he has yet to recapture the magic of his 2009 run for the IndyCar championship. Since being a top contender in 2009, Briscoe has amassed only two wins and a handful of Poles so one has to wonder the reason why given that Briscoe competes for, arguably, IndyCar’s best team. The 2009 title run was bolstered by Briscoe being, essentially, the lead driver for Team Penske with Helio Castroneves fighting his tax evasion charges and Will Power only a temporary replacement in the No. 3 car. If Penske intends and has acquired sponsorship to remain at three full-season entries, he could find himself with few, if any, better options than the Australian he currently employs.

GO WITH GRAHAM

Chip Ganassi Racing announced in August that they would not be picking up the option on Graham Rahal, driver of the No. 38 Service Central Honda, thus allowing the Ohio native and his lucrative sponsorship partners to test the free agent market. It is unknown whether Rahal would be so loyal to Honda to put the phone down if Roger Penske, who runs Chevrolet, came calling. Rahal would fit the Penske fold nicely and he brings financial backing to boot. Roger Penske currently fields three cars for drivers north of 30 years old and Helio Castroneves will turn 38 before the flag drops on the Indianapolis 500 next May and is in the twilight of his IndyCar career. It seems as though Rahal has been in the IndyCar Paddock for forever, but he is only 23 years of age and gives any team a driver to build with for years to come.

SPEED WITH SEBASTIEN

It seems like ages ago that Sebastien Bourdais celebrated his fourth consecutive Champ Car World Series title. Handcuffed by a Lotus for the first four races, Bourdais made the best of his situation and managed to make an underpowered engine look competitive using his brilliant driving skill. Since being given the boost of a Chevrolet, Bourdais has looked to be getting closer and closer to the form that made him so dominant from 2004-2007. Bourdais’ team, Dragon Racing, faces a turbulent offseason as they look to try and return to a two-car team among shortage of Chevrolet engines, Jay Penske’s legal issues, and, like everyone else, sponsorship concerns. Katherine Legge currently has the multi-year TrueCar sponsorship that she and Bourdais are sharing, but a move from one Penske to another could be what Bourdais needs to contend once again.

RIDE WITH RUBENS

This one may seem out of deep left field, however, if Penske was to hire a driver based on credentials alone there are few resumes as decorated as that of Rubens Barrichello. Barrichello would enter the Team Penske fold with 19 years of Formula 1 experience, but just one season in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Barrichello would join a team that has unmatched winning history and amassed fifteen Indianapolis 500 victories. It sounds like just the opportunity Barrichello would relish as his motorsports career winds down. This option could be determined a long shot because Barrichello seems to be looking toward a team powered by Honda which is not a possibility for Penske.

TRIM TO TWO

The easiest economic option would be to run two cars instead of three. Currently, the only car in the Team Penske stable with full-season major sponsorship is the entry piloted by Will Power while the other two cars have seen revolving liveries and side pod sponsors. Since becoming a three car team in 2010, Team Penske has shown indications of being spread a little thin after losing sponsorship from Philip Morris USA. Other than Power’s Verizon sponsorship, the No. 2 and No. 3 have carried revolving liveries including Shell V-Power, IZOD, AAA, Hitachi, and Penske’s own Truck Rental brand. Surely these sponsorships could be consolidated into one car allowing the omission of Penske Truck Rental completely and putting more pennies in Penske’s pocket to spend on testing, spare parts, and other team competitive expenses allowing more focus dealing with two teams instead of three. It would also, assuming he remains interested in being a race strategist, put Roger Penske on the pit stall for either Castroneves or Power which could help consistency for one or both. Another angle on downsizing to two cars is that it may allow Roger Penske’s son, Jay, to acquire the second Chevrolet engine lease that he desires.

As always, the ball is 100% in Roger Penske’s court and nobody is sure what The Captain has planned. It depends very much on sponsorship and what is available and who can bring what to the table. Penske, undoubtedly, has his eye on rising young stars such as Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, and Simona de Silvestro but those drivers are contracted to their current teams for the foreseeable future. All three current Team Penske drivers have visited Victory Lane in 2012 with Helio Castroneves and Will Power capturing multiple race wins. With the results of the Baltimore Grand Prix bringing Ryan Hunter-Reay within 17 points of Will Power heading to the Season Finale, you have to wonder what will Roger do for 2013. Behind the wins and championship contention, it has been a bit of a difficult season for the Penske organization with AJ Allmendinger failing a drug test and if Team Penske sees another championship slip from their clutches for the fourth consecutive season, it can be expected that major changes to the fabric of the Penske organization will be forthcoming. Stay tuned because when Roger Penske makes a decision, the Earth usually rumbles.

The Fight Goes to Fontana…

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Brett Musick

The Grand Prix of Baltimore had all the make-up of a race that could bring drama, competition, and flat-out weirdness to the IZOD IndyCar Series and its championship. Baltimore’s place on the schedule as the penultimate race in the championship proved to be an important date for everyone involved.

The weekend began precariously for the IndyCars as a set of light rail tracks caused teams’ DW12s to become airborne for as much as seventy feet down a straightaway causing Race Director Beaux Barfield to install a chicane neccessitating drivers navigate around the problem area.

For an event that almost didn’t happen and rescued by Andretti Sports Marketing it became very important to competitors. Team Penske and Will Power looked like they were going to all but sew up the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship. All the signs were present with IndyCar competing on a street course, an avenue that Power has all but dominated since joining Team Penske full-time in 2010. The weekend at Baltimore started just how Team Penske had hoped when Power took the Verizon Team Penske car to the top of the starting grid winning the Pole Position and capturing one more point toward the championship. Everything was going to plan, until Race Day.

The race began in Power’s favor as he took the point and extended his lead in the very early stages and looked to be doing what Will Power does best. Everyone in the Paddock knew weather was going to be a factor with rain showers in the area and it was just a matter of when. The rain came about a third of the way to the race distance forcing drivers to pit lane to swap slick tires for rain tires.

The race turned difficult for Power when Team Penske elected to keep rain tires as the track dried costing Power valuable track position. Power’s closest championship rival, Ryan Hunter-Reay, used a risky strategy by keeping the slick tires through the rain to grab the lead. Hunter-Reay took advantage of a significant strategy miscue on the part of Team Penske and led much of the back-half of the race positioning themselves for a huge points day. A late-race restart with the No. 2 PPG Automotive Finishes car, driven by Power’s Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe, leading changed the entire scope of this race, and the championship. IndyCar utilizes double-file restarts on road and street courses where cars line up side-by-side. The restart zone is signified by orange cones, or a “cone zone”, wedged in the catch fence. The zone begins immediately after the chicane and when the green flag flew Hunter-Reay was lagging back behind Briscoe and jumped on the throttle passing Briscoe and taking the race lead while Power was, essentially, shoved out of the way relegating him to a sixth place result as Hunter-Reay captured the win shaving Power’s points lead to 17 going to the finale at Auto Club Speedway.

There has been immediate debate on whether Hunter-Reay’s treatment of the restart was within the rules or not. As the rule book is written, the restart was legal, however, it was not in the spirit of the rule and competition. They are called double-file restarts for a reason and by lagging back behind Briscoe coming to the restart allowed Hunter-Reay to accelerate a couple seconds before Briscoe and make the easy pass for the win. Regardless, what is done is done and the fight moves to Auto Club Speedway and it all comes down to 500 miles under the lights on September 15th. The real winners in this restart exchange are fans of IndyCar Racing. Yet again, the IZOD IndyCar Series takes its championship to the final race without any kind of “Chase” or “Countdown” system. When Auto Club Speedway opens for practice, two drivers will be fighting for the series title. It will be an epic race so make sure to tune in for this one!

CONGRATULATIONS RYAN HUNTER-REAY AND ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT: WINNERS OF THE BALTIMORE GRAND PRIX

Where Did The 2011 IndyCar Drivers Go?

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Brett Musick

With the lion share of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season in the books, one has to look back and wonder where did the 2011 drivers go? The 2011 campaign for the IndyCar championship was littered with finger pointing, on track melees, fat checks written for replacement parts, and a double-bird salute to race control courtesy of Will Power.

For the first time in a long while, the perception that drivers would get into on-track squabbles without feelings of frustration or ill will boiling over to the next event went out the window. There were definite times in 2011 where on track altercation storylines continued for weeks, months, and races at a time. The officials policing the competition side of the sport found themselves trying to officiate a racing series that was out of control. All this came to a head at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when 34 high downforce, high grip IndyCars took to the track for the IZOD IndyCar World Championships. The story of Vegas is, regrettably, tragic, famous, and became the culmination of everything that had occurred during the season and Race Control’s ambiguity regarding blocking rules, penalties, and acceptable driver behavior.

On Sunday August 5, 2012, IndyCar ran its second consecutive race devoid of caution flags featuring only minor contact between a couple of cars requiring replacement of front wings. In fact, Ryan Hunter-Reay’s engine failure was the only DNF of the race. Rewinding to 2011, it was difficult to make it through the start of the race without a full course caution being shown much less an entire race distance. Of the twenty-five drivers entered, only five of them were absent from Las Vegas entry list in October 2011. With exception of Sebastien Bourdais, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Rubens Barrichello, and Justin Wilson, all drivers in the starting lineup at Mid-Ohio were gridded for the World Championships. How is it that the same drivers can behave in such a drastically different manner?

The crash at the IZOD IndyCar World Championships sent shockwaves through the sport of not only INDYCAR, but auto racing itself. For the first time, INDYCAR was forced to, seriously, search inward and change the way their sport runs. Nobody was exempt from blame for the incident and everyone was subject to scrutiny and change.

Changes were already coming with the introduction of the DW12 chassis, a much safer car than the Vegas car it replaces and contains bodywork designed to inhibit the kind of on track altercations that cost Dan Wheldon his life. In 2012, the car has proven itself as a competitive, exciting machine with a wealth of options to assist in the prevention of incidents like the Las Vegas disaster. Danger can never be completely removed from the equation when it comes to motorsports, however, the DW12 could be a huge step in the right direction to making the racing safer. As a competitive piece of racing equipment, the DW12 has more than passed the test.

In the aftermath of Las Vegas, INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard realized that a new race director was needed to restore the officiating balance in the IZOD IndyCar Series back in favor of Race Control instead of the drivers taking matters into their own hands because they had no idea what action would be taken in any situation. Penalties for on-track incidents were inconsistent and ambiguous causing drivers to place distrust in the people officiating their races. Brian Barnhart was removed from his position as Race Director and Bernard called upon Beaux Barfield to step in and restore order to the chaos that had ensued. Barfield’s credentials were solid coming from the American Le Mans Series and Barfield, first, instituted new blocking rules that allowed drivers to defend their line as long as they remained in the lane they selected. Grounds for avoidable contact penalties were simplified and remained consistent through the first parts of the schedule. Bernard hit a home run in hiring Barfield because he hired a man that the drivers could trust to make consistent, correct calls. Even when Barfield has erred, such as Scott Dixon’s penalty at Milwaukee, he has openly, on the record, admitted to his mistakes which gives him integrity in the Paddock. A seldom occurrence under the old leadership.

While the Vegas crash forced almost immediate change at the top of INDYCAR, the driver piece of the puzzle caused competitors in series to look inward at changes they needed to make. The words of Race Directors, CEOs, and Technical Directors in driver’s meetings only go so far. In the end, it is the drivers that pull the helmets over their head and strap into the 1,300 pound missiles that, while on the ground, hold distinction as some of the safest machines in the world. In the end, it is the drivers that must behave and respect each other at 200+ mph on race day. Dan Wheldon had touched everybody in the Paddock and called almost all of his competitors his friends. As we’ve maneuvered through INDYCAR competition in 2012, the drivers have found something that they had locked away for a while. Drivers removed it from the shelf, shook off the dust, and brought it back to the race track for the simple reason that “we have to do whatever is necessary to prevent a disaster like Vegas from occurring again”. Professionalism returned to INDYCAR racing and it hasn’t been good racing, but outstanding racing.

Wheldon’s death tore huge emotional gashes in the Paddock, media, and fan base. Some may never heal, but sometimes change only happens in the gravest, most tragic of circumstances.

R.I.P. DAN WHELDON

Race Recap: Honda 200 @ Mid-Ohio

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Brett Musick

The IZOD IndyCar Series made its annual stop at the technical, demanding Mid-Ohio Sports car course, a track notorious for discouraging passing and excitement. But that was on the old Dallara and the Dallara DW12 proved at Barber Motorsports Park that on the tightest of tracks it could provoke fans to arise from their seats and cheer as the cars went by. Not only is the DW12 faster, in general, than its predecessor, it has shown incredible ability to create passing opportunities where there were none before. Mid-Ohio featured the 2012 debut of the Push-To-Pass horsepower boost feature on a permanent road course venue. Added to the drivers calculations was a five second delay from when he/she pushed the button to when the turbocharged engines would give the extra boost making the drivers plan ahead when planning their attack on the car ahead. The purpose being to encourage use of Push-To-Pass in a more offensive manner rather than defensive.

Team Penske began the weekend building on the momentum gained from Helio Castroneves’ victory at Edmonton City Centre Airport two weeks earlier. Weather conditions wreaked havoc on the preparations for the race and Helio Castroneves suffered a bruised wrist in the morning practice before qualifications where the Brazilian failed to transfer to the second round of qualifying resulting in no better than 13th Place starting position. Castroneves’ race got exponentially more difficult when Team Penske elected to change the Chevrolet engine in the No. 3 Penske Truck Rental DW12 resulting in a ten-spot grid penalty as per the IZOD IndyCar Series Rule Book meaning Castroneves would start 23rd. Castroneves’ Team Penske teammates fared better on Saturday qualifying with both Briscoe and Power making the top-6 shootout for the Pole. Briscoe held station qualifying in 6th right behind Scott Dixon. All Will Power did was shatter the IndyCar track qualifying record on the way to netting his third Pole Position start of 2012 eclipsing Dario Franchitti’s fast lap by two tenths of a second. The top six was Power and Franchitti followed by Pagenaud, Tagliani, Dixon, and Briscoe.

Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay entered Mid-Ohio Sports Car course with the points lead and looked to continue momentum gained from three straight wins at Milwaukee, Iowa, and Toronto and a 7th Place result at Edmonton. Very early in the race, Hunter-Reay’s team became concerned that something inside the No. 28 DHL/SunDrop Pelonia Chevrolet was amiss and may cast a dark cloud over their day. Hunter-Reay remained stationed in the top-10 for much of the early portions of the race, but coming to the last round of pit stops the car began sounding, according to Jon Beekhuis, very sour and ill and Hunter-Reay fell sharply off the race leaders’ pace. Eventually, Hunter-Reay was called to pit lane inside ten laps to go marking the first time Hunter-Reay was not running at the finish since Texas in June. The silver lining in this is Hunter-Reay’s engine will be regarded as a mechanical failure during the race so no grid penalty will be assessed at Sonoma.

Looking at IZOD IndyCar Series history, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course could have Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s name stamped on it, driver Scott Dixon’s in particular. Since the first IndyCar Series Race at the storied facility, Dixon had won three of the five races. His only blemishes, a third place in 2008 and fifth in 2010. Dixon just has a knack for this course which, due to its tight nature and minimal passing opportunities, requires strong qualifying efforts, tire and fuel management, and flawless pit stops to achieve the top step on the podium when the checkers fall. Dixon excels at all of these factors giving him essential ownership of the IndyCar Race on this circuit.

Race day began ominously as the course was drenched by overnight and morning rainfall making the morning warmup almost useless to determining a race setup just because of the uncertainty surrounding the conditions for the 85-lap event. The race began in insanity as a huge pack of 25 DW12 IndyCars fought for the same piece of real estate causing Justin Wilson to spin and continue, but losing precious positions. Common in IndyCar Series races, varying pit strategies became a game changer. Teams had the option to select a three-stop or two-stop pit strategies. Those toward the back opted to go for the three stop strategy hoping that the yellow caution flags would wave in their favor. The one problem with this strategy was, for the second consecutive race, there were no cautions and the race was run under green from start to the checkered flag. This race was won on the final pit stop when Scott Dixon, who stalked the rear wing of the Verizon Team Penske car of Will Power for the first two fuel stints, benefitted from a clear pit entry giving Dixon a faster pit stop by the smallest of margins, but it was enough. Dixon’s crew was able to insert the fuel probe just milliseconds faster than Power’s resulting in the change of position. Then Dixon went to work driving away from Power to Victory Lane for his second win of the season also pulling Dixon back into the heat of the points race with tough days for Castroneves and Hunter-Reay.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SCOTT DIXON AND TARGET CHIP GANASSI RACING: WINNERS OF THE HONDA 200 @ MID-OHIO

R.I.P. DAN WHELDON

Danica Patrick and the 2013 Indianapolis 500

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Brett Musick

As Danica Patrick winds her way through her first full season of competition in NASCAR, the native of Roscoe, Illinois is mulling the possibility of running both the Coca Cola 600 as well as the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend in 2013 thus marking a short lived return to IndyCar racing at the track where she gained notoriety and fame in 2005 when she became the first woman to lead the annual Memorial Day classic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Patrick is slated to drive a full 36 race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule next season which will be her priority in 2013. Patrick gained fans in bunches in 2005 but her last two runs at the Indianapolis 500 saw her burn some bridges with fans due to comments made essentially throwing Andretti Autosport under the bus. If Patrick elects to attempt the double-duty Sunday she has a long road ahead of her for a number of factors.

Who Will She Run For?

Undoubtedly, the entry for Patrick would be a partnership between Stewart Haas Racing and a current IZOD IndyCar Series team. Stewart Haas’ alliance with Chevrolet would indicate that Patrick would run an IndyCar powered by the Bowtie and with Chevrolet likely powering half of the field for the Indianapolis 500 in 2013 there will be multiple options for Patrick to choose. Patrick’s desire to have a competitive car will definitely play into her decision. Team Penske is the most obvious choice of the Chevrolet powered teams given their storied history at the Indianapolis 500, but an effort with Team Penske is unlikely. Team Penske will likely field entries for Will Power, Helio Castroneves, and probably a third car that might remain piloted by Ryan Briscoe. Roger Penske will be hesitant to field a fourth car for the danger of putting too many cooks in the kitchen as their focus for the 2013 race will be on Helio Castroneves as the Brazilian tries to beat Ganassi rival Dario Franchitti to the four-time winner club. So far in 2012, Andretti Autosport as shown renewed strength in the IndyCar Paddock with Hunter-Reay and Hinchcliffe in the top-5 in the points standings. Andretti could take on Patrick, but the tumultuous relationship between Patrick and her teammates during the last years of her full-time IndyCar career would be a deterrent given Andretti Autosport’s renewed mojo in 2012. Beyond Penske and Andretti, Patrick is left with KV Racing Technology, Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold, Ed Carpenter Racing, and Dragon Racing as Chevrolet possibilities. All of these teams probably don’t fit the bill that Patrick demands essential for the program to become a reality.

Sponsorship

In NASCAR, Danica Patrick is sponsored by internet conglomerate GoDaddy.com who also sponsors the Andretti family as well as James Hinchcliffe’s No. 27 Dallara. GoDaddy would probably move forward and sponsor Patrick in the Indianapolis 500, but will she be allowed to utilize GoDaddy as sponsor if she were to run for a team other than Andretti Autosport? If not, where would the sponsorship money come from?

DW12

The last time Danica Patrick competed at the Indianapolis 500 was in May of 2011. The car she competed with was a Dallara IR07 powered by a V8 Honda engine. In 2012, the IZOD IndyCar Series debut a new car, the DW12. The DW12 is a completely different animal than the car it replaces. The weight distribution is further to the rear of the car making it increasingly more difficult to drive around the four corners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The car is very difficult to dial in and even the best drivers in IndyCar have found difficulty getting a handle on it. The DW12 is powered by turbocharged 4-cylindar engines and utilizes and hand clutch instead of a normal foot clutch. The hand clutch has been a serious adjustment for drivers this season. Patrick would hit the track more than a year behind her competition in a car that, admittedly, is tough to master.

Scheduling

The schedule for the Indianapolis 500 has been scaled back dramatically in recent years for financial reasons and track time is at a premium especially with the unpredictable weather conditions in Indianapolis in May that has a knack for cutting practice days short and washing them out completely in some cases. Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 takes place on the weekend of the Spring All-Star Race in Charlotte, an event that Danica would certainly be voted in by the NASCAR fan base. Patrick would need to try and qualify the IndyCar on Saturday before the All-Star Race or the next day where she would start no better than 22nd in the race. Balancing her NASCAR commitments and the large amount of work that it will take to make an Indy 500 program a reality.

The big question for IndyCar in 2012 other than how to make the racing safer was how would the sport fare without their biggest name? IndyCar has responded with some of the best racing across all Motorsport in 2012 and found new starpower in James Hinchcliffe and Rubens Barrichello. For Danica Patrick, contrary to what many predicted, the sport of IndyCar has moved on with very little hiccup. New cars, races, and stars have assisted IndyCar into its new, post-Danicamania, era. Patrick decided that her brand would benefit from a career in NASCAR and that is where it should remain.

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