Today Speedway, Indiana is primed to build upon the town’s unique history and motorsports ancestry – both an integral part of the rich fabric that makes Speedway a great place to live, work, play, learn and shop. /// From creating four vibrant development districts primed for business growth – including the Motor Sports Technology district, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway district, the Museum/Entertainment/Retail district and the Town Center district – to working with the state of Indiana to develop targeted incentive packages that will attract domestic and international companies and stimulate startup firms, Speedway, Indiana is poised for fast success. Image Credit: IndyCar Garage
CityWalk, Downtown Disney, and now "Downown INDY"
That's right, why not bring a little fun and amusement park excitement placed just outside of a major gathering venue in America's mid-west?
Developments like Universal's CityWalk, ABC CapCities' Downtown Disney, Hollywood's Kodak and Chinese Theater, and even New York's Times Square retailing amusement center complexes have a real winning combination being located next to a natural entertainment draw like Broadway, an amusement park or ... a one-of-a-kind motorsports racing track!
"Speedzone" redevelopment plan for Main Street Speedway, Indiana. I wonder if this crowd knows that ESPN already uses "SpeedZone" for the name of its themed restaurant at "Downtown Disney" outside of Disneyland Amusement Park in Anaheim California? Image Credit: Speedway Redevelopment - from PDF
This excerpted and edited from IndyCar Garage -
Speedway breaks ground on the future Posted by IndyCar Garage on November 24, 2009 at 1:56pm
The Town of Speedway, Indiana broke ground last Thursday on the first phase of a multimillion dollar project that will give the town that surrounds the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a huge facelift.
The Main Street project is the first milestone in the town's Redevelopment Area One and is part of a $500 million investment to breathe new life into 400 acres of multi-use property that will be primed for commercial, shopping and entertainment, residential and research and development projects. Made possible through private and public investment, the redevelopment zone will be a vibrant, thriving and attractive downtown that will foster growth within the existing business community and encourage development of new business. ---- "Main Street will be the backbone of a bustling, vibrant downtown district," said SRC President Vince Noblet. "The project we're commencing today will bring a safer pedestrian experience, with room for sidewalk cafes and a bike path to re-energize the atmosphere on Main Street and attract new businesses, shops and restaurants."
"As we celebrate our Centennial Era and look toward our next 100 years, the Town of Speedway joins us in looking toward the future by moving forward with a redevelopment plan that is crucial to the success of the businesses that call Speedway home," said Fred Nation, Indianapolis Motor Speedway vice president of communications. "Racing is an integral part of the culture in Speedway and the redevelopment of Main Street will attract race fans by providing a variety of entertainment options close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway." Reference Here>>
Welcome to the birth of America's first motorsports amusement shopping and living experience ... Welcome to "Downtown Indy" at Speedway, Indiana, home of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the INDY 500!
The famed "Yard Of Bricks" at the Start/Finish line of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Image Credit: cowgirlsdave.com
A Live Blogging Effort Observing The Progress Of
The Teams That Are Transitioning Into The IRL
INDY 500: The Line Of The “Fine Nine”
American Open Wheel racing has always captivated the interest of motorsports enthusiasts throughout the world and this weekend hosts a race that has been held for 92 years in the state of Indiana.
Each year, on the final weekend of May, powerful cars, without fenders, with their wheels sticking out to defend the four corners of the space they occupy, speeding around a large rectangle for 500 miles (200 laps), yellow flag sessions during the race bunch up the field of 33 cars, pit stops throughout for tires and fuel can lead to an advantage or setback given a smooth result or a malfunctioning airwrench, 400,000 spectators line the pavement strip where the cars can fan out three to four cars wide, where, at the end of the race, the winner is treated to a swig from a quart of milk to become one of the names in the world of automobile racing few will forget (more recognizable than annual series champions) … this is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the race that defines American motorsports, The INDY 500.
This year is the first year since the formation of CART back in 1979 American open wheel racing is unified under one annual competitive series of races that, in the end crowns a champion – one champion, one series, and this one race. At the heart of this series of races is the fourth race of the 18 that will be held here in 2008.
Nine drivers of the field of 33 cars in the race are from the former CART/ChampCar World Series and through unification, these nine drivers represent an infusion of new talent to this fabled racing competition. Racing with equipment the teams of the nine drivers received in the merger agreement, some with parts that needed to be upgraded to 2008 specifications, equipment that is new to the learning curve of the chassis engineers and specialists on each team that helped to qualify these nine drivers to a new track beginning on the fifth row.
At the wave of the checkered flag, after two warm-up laps performed by the 33 rows of three cars side-by-side, that starts the 92nd INDY 500, the “Fine Nine” are placed in the field in the following order.
POS./Car # Driver (Speed), Team, Sponsor
Row 5 13/06 Graham Rahal (222.531), NHL, No Sponsor 15/18 Bruno Junqueira (222.330), DCR, Z-Line
Row 6 16/02 Justin Wilson (222.267), NHL, Mc Donald’s
Row 8 23/ 8 Will Power (221.136), KVRT, Aussie Vineyards
Row 9 25/ 5 Oriol Servia (220.767), KVRT, Visit Mexico City/Plantronics 26/33 EJ Viso (220.356), HVM, PDVSA
Row 10 28/19 Mario Moraes (219.716), DCR, Sonny’s BBQ 29/36 Enrique Bernoldi (219.422), CR, No Sponsor 30/34 Jaime Camara (219.345), CR, No Sponsor
Julianne Hough sings the National Anthem at 9:55 AM PDT and four jets fly-over the yard of bricks. It’s time for the drivers to get into the cars and show a moment of silence for those who have died so that we may remain free on this Memorial Day (TAPS).
Back Home Again In Indianana, as sung by Jim Nabors – “Oh how I long for my Indiana home”.
Mari Hulman George, “Ladies and Gentelman, Start, Your, Engines!”
Good luck to Helio Castroneves on his attempt to win the INDY 500 three times; Is this the race that Danica Patrick breaks through and has a woman win the 500 mile race … or will it be Sarah Fischer, or Milka Duno?
Orrrrr, will it be one of eleven rookies with the overwhelming number of them coming from the ranks of the former ChampCar World Series?
The Perfect Storm … And there’re off at a few ticks after 10:12 AM PDT – “Green, Green, Green”
Clear!, still clear! – off to a great and clean start.
YELLOW Flag flies for debris on the racing line on the track – LAP 8.
Bruno Junqueira’s Dale Coyne Racing Dallara looses a mirror at speed and he will have to come in and have it replaced. He had moved up in the order before the incident to Position # 13 and was the lead driver in the “Fine Nine” at the time of the incident.
Sarah Fischer spins while on scrubbing off her tires in the corner while waiting for the field to go back to Green on LAP 13.
LAP 18 re-start and Buddy Rice followed by Justin Wilson of NHL take the Checkered Flag.
LAP 20 sees Dan Weldon taking over the overall lead with Justin Wilson passing Buddy Rice for 3rd.
At 25 laps the Fine Nine are struggling to maintain pace … after Wilson at Position #3 we see the next Fine Nine driver at Position #20 being EJ Viso, #23 Will Power, #23 Mario Moraes, #24Rahal, #26Bernoldi, #27 Camara, and 17 laps down after having the mirror replaced, #33 Junqueira.
Pit Stops and Buddy Rice gains a position on Justin Wilson.
YELLOW Flag – Graham Rahal of Newman/Haas/Lanigan hits the wall on LAP 37 while avoiding a car driven by Alex Lloyd that had slowed down to enter the pits.
One Fine Nine driver OUT and one down 17 laps with Bruno Junqueira.
Buddy Rice and Justin Wilson stay out while the rest of the field comes into the pits for tires and fuel. Danica Patrick has a long time in the pits.
FIRE in AJ Foyt IV’s car while in the pits on LAP 39 … the second fuel incident for Foyt IV in the past full week.
After all of the incidents, the shuffle has the “Fine Nine” in NO fine positions at all … its dismal.
The highest position any T-Team driver occupies at the restart on LAP 46 is Will Power of KV Racing Technology at Position #16.
Positions Of The Fine Nine After 50 Laps
POS./Car# Driver, Team, Sponsor
16/ 5 Oriol Servia, KVRT, Visit Mexico City/Plantronics 17/33 EJ Viso, HVM, PDVSA 18/ 8 Will Power, KVRT, Aussie Vineyards 24/02 Justin Wilson, NHL, Mc Donald’s 28/19 Mario Moraes, DCR, Sonny’s BBQ 29/36 Enrique Bernoldi, CR, No Sponsor 30/34 Jaime Camara, CR, No Sponsor 32/18 Bruno Junqueira, DCR, Z-Line OUT/06 Graham Rahal, NHL, No Sponsor
LAP 60 – Marty Roth hits the wall in his Lids sponsored car in a similar accident that befell Graham Rahal. Car slowing into the pits and catching the trailing car off guard and by the time the driver reacts, he is in the marbles and into the wall.
Helio Castroneves hits some of the debris and crunches a front wing.
Everybody into the pits. Servia climbs up to #14, followed by Viso #16, Wilson #17, Power #18, Camara #24, Moraes #25, Bernoldi #26, Junqueira #31
LAP 73 – Green Flag
Crash and YELLOW Flag for Jamie Camara on LAP 81 as Jamie gets too high into turn one, hits the wall and slides the length of the short chute and smashes into the wall at turn two before sliding to a stop. OUT, Jaime Camara Conquest Racing, No Sponsor.
Pits open and Danica Patrick picks up two more spots to position #9.
Re-Start GREEN Flag on LAP 92 and EJ Viso climbs to #11, with Servia, Wilson, and Power at #15, #16, #18 respectively.
Tony Kanaan splits the Target Chip Ganassi Team cars driven by Scott Dixon and Dan Weldon then passes Weldon for the lead on LAP 96.
Marty Reid, the announcer suggests that approaching the half-way point is beginning to see a page turn as it relates to tactics.
Andretti Green Racing team members are making a move as Marco Andretti climbs into the top five at 100 laps.
Positions Of The Fine Nine After 100 Laps
POS./Car# Driver, Team, Sponsor
13/33 EJ Viso (220.356), HVM, PDVSA 14/ 5 Oriol Servia (220.767), KVRT, Visit Mexico City/Plantronics 16/02 Justin Wilson (222.267), NHL, Mc Donald’s 20/ 8 Will Power (221.136), KVRT, Aussie Vineyards 25/36 Enrique Bernoldi (219.422), CR, No Sponsor 26/19 Mario Moraes (219.716), DCR, Sonny’s BBQ 29/18 Bruno Junqueira (222.330), DCR, Z-Line OUT/34 Jaime Camara (219.345), CR, No Sponsor OUT/06 Graham Rahal (222.531), NHL, No Sponsor
YELLOW Flag on LAP 105 - Tont Kanaan, and Sara Fischer collect each other after Marco Andretti cuts into Tony’s line in the corner forcing TK into the marbles and the wall. Team owner and Tony Kanaan are not very happy.
Everyone pits on LAP 107 – Servia passes Viso in the pits to take position #11 before the restart.
LAP 112 - Something breaks on Jeff Simmons AJ Foyt Racing, ABC car and has him first hit the outside wall then the inside wall on the front straightaway.
GREEN Flag Restart LAP 117 – Scott Dixon, Marco Andretti, Dan Weldon, Tomas Schecter, and Ed Carpenter in the lead.
The next two laps sees a mix of aggressive driving by all cars in the top 15. Danica Patrick warned about blocking Helio Castroneves.
Marco Andretti passes for the lead with 79 laps to go.
LAP 128 has Ryan Hunter-Reay pass Dan Weldon for position #6. Biggest mover up the field is Oriol Servia up to position #10.
Justin Wilson into the wall with 67 laps to go … there will be no finish or win for the Newman/Haas/Lanigan team for the 92nd running of the INDY 500.
Pit Stops for all. Ed Carpenter suffers gearbox problem in the pits and looses a lot of time and is the last car on the lead lap - 23. Mario Moraes Dale Coyne Racing does not pit and assumes the lead of the race … mark a moral victory to the T-Team Fine Nine proud! Helio Castroneves moves up three spots to #7.
61 LAPS to go and Scott Dixon moves from third to first with Mario Moraes is a sitting duck. Moraes just misses the wall in the short chute between turns one and two.
Mario Moraes is loose, slow and needs to pit – DUAH!
Yellow Flag LAP 148 – Alex Lloyd crashes while holding position 17 from turn 4 into the entrance of the pit lane, taking out the speed radar sensors that help race management regulate the speed in pit lane.
Positions After 150 Laps
POS./Car# Driver, Team, Sponsor
09/ 5 Oriol Servia, KVRT, Visit Mexico City/Plantronics 15/ 8 Will Power, KVRT, Aussie Vineyards 18/36 Enrique Bernoldi, CR, No Sponsor 23/19 Mario Moraes, DCR, Sonny’s BBQ 24/33 EJ Viso, HVM, PDVSA 26/18 Bruno Junqueira, DCR, Z-Line OUT/02 Justin Wilson, NHL, Mc Donald’s OUT/34 Jaime Camara, CR, No Sponsor OUT/06 Graham Rahal, NHL, No Sponsor
Pit Lane open on LAP 154 – Dan Weldon has trouble in the pits and gets bumped to the back of the field. Tomas Scheckter climbs out of his car … his race is over due to a broken half-shaft .
GREEN flag on LAP 159 – Vitor Miera Panther Racing Delphi/National Guard takes the lead.
LAP 166 sees Vitor Miera leading, Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi, Helio Castroneves Team Penske, Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing, and Ryan Hunter-Reay Rahal Letterman Racing in the top five.
YELLOW Flag, Eighth caution of the race. LAP 167 has Milka Duno spinning through the short chute and into the grass out of turn 4.
Final pitstops has contact between Ryan Briscoe and Danica Patrick knocking out both cars. Ryan Briscoe of Penske Racing slides into Danica as he comes out of the pits.
LAP 174 has Scott Dixon takes the Checkered Flag and the traffic into turn 1 is like driving in downtown Boston at rush hour except that instead an inch a minute drag race in your rental car against a taxi cab, these guys are running at INDY speed. On the backstretch Dan Weldon gets into the grass on a little off-roading excursion and solders on at speed.
LAP 181 – Everyone is good on fuel … this is a sprint to the finish.
Scott Dixon looks to be in charge with Vitor Miera, Helio Castroneves, Marco Andretti, and Ed Carpenter in tow. The top five positions are within about one second of each other.
Ten laps to go and Marco Andretti is on the march and moves to third place. Marco has the fastest car in on the track with eight laps to go.
Marco can see the race leader and he is “flat-footing” it all the way. With five laps to go Marco is only two car lengths away … Vitor begins to pull away from Marco and is close enough to get a tow from Dixon.
Three laps to go and Dixon begins to pull away and begins to encounter traffic … and clears.
Two turns to go and there is nothing but track – Dixon brings it home to win the 92nd INDY 500 and the 2.5 Million Dollar purse. The 19th driver to win from the pole position.
Congratulations to Vitor Miera and Marco Andretti for their podium finishes.
Final Finishing Positions for the T-Team Fine Nine After 200 Laps
POS./Car# Driver (Speed), Team, Sponsor
11/ 5 Oriol Servia, KV Racing Technology, Visit Mexico City/Plantronics 13/ 8 Will Power, KV Racing Technology, Aussie Vineyards 15/36 Enrique Bernoldi, Conquest Racing, No Sponsor 18/19 Mario Moraes, Dale Coyne Racing, Sonny’s BBQ 20/18 Bruno Junqueira, Dale Coyne Racing, Z-Line 26/33 EJ Viso, HVM Racing, PDVSA 27/02 Justin Wilson, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, Mc Donald’s 31/34 Jaime Camara, Conquest Racing, No Sponsor 33/06 Graham Rahal, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, No Sponsor
A one-time race for the ages, a first for unification in the modern era after only 29 years.
The Indianapolis 500 Victory earned Kiwi Scott Dixon a record $2,988,065 from a record purse of $14,406,580. This result should give a new meaning to the phrase – “The Thunder From Down Under!”
Dixon became the first native of New Zealand to win theIndianapolis 500. After starting from the pole position, he led seven times for a race-high 115 laps and beat Panther Racing's Vitor Meira to the finish line by 1.7498 seconds. The race featured 18 lead changes among nine drivers.
The previous record winner's purse was $1,761,740 awarded to Buddy Rice in 2004, while the 2007 Indianapolis 500 field was awarded the previous record race purse, $10,668,815. The event purse is comprised of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indy Racing League awards, including the new IndyCar TEAM (Team Enhancement and Allocation Matrix) program, sponsor awards and other designated awards.
Meira's efforts in the No. 4 Delphi National Guard Dallara/Honda/Firestone earned $1,273,215, the first time anyone other than the Indianapolis winner has won more than $1 million, far exceeding the previous second-place record payout of $739,665 for Helio Castroneves in 2003.
The Mexico City Tourism Board is beckoning fans to "Visit Mexico City" in festive lettering on the sidepods of the No. 96 PCM car. The tourism board has made a two-year commitment to sponsor the car. This sponsorship will be displayed on Oriol Srevia's KV Racing Technology #5 Dallara for the 2008 Indy 500 in a one-race arrangement. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)
Mario Dominguez and the Pacific Coast Motorsports team dialing in on qualifying for a spot in the Indy 500 starting grid
This video was put together by Derek A. Platts, Associate Producer, ESPN - International Production from the events that transpired on Bump Day. Derek was able to borrow a Pacific Coast Motorsports team scanner which was able to tune into the audio insights and the drama that IS … Bump Day.
UPDATE:
This from a press release issued by Pacific Coast Motorsports -
Oriol Servia to Carry the “Visit Mexico City ” Colors at the Indy 500 For Immediate Release - Oxnard, CA (May 23, 2008)
Pacific Coast Motorsports and the Mexico City Tourism Board announced today that they have entered into an agreement with KV Racing Technology for Indy 500. Oriol Servia, driver of the #5 Angie’s List Special will carry the Visit Mexico City logo at the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500.
Pacific Coast Motorsports and the Mexico City Tourism Board announced their program just one month ago. The rookie team and driver missed the 33rd starting spot in final qualifying last Sunday after a remarkable performance, which placed Dominguez “on the bubble” Sunday afternoon.
Team Owner, Tyler Tadevic commented, “I have to thank Jimmy (Vasser), Kevin (Kalkhoven) and Mark (Johnson) for offering their help. We gave it our best shot this month, but at the end of the day; despite Mario’s impressive performance, we just did not have the track time and preparation time to get into the show. It is very important that our partners, the Mexico City Tourism Board participate in the event and receive the additional exposure they deserve. We are very grateful and honored that Oriol will carry their colors.”
Oriol Srevia in his KV Racing Technology #5 Dallara durnig qualifications at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)
Oriol Servia will make his first Indy 500 start from the inside of row nine, in the 25th starting position on Sunday.
Although he is a rookie in the IndyCar Series, Servia is currently ranked eighth in the Series points standings, “I am proud to carry the Visit Mexico City colors for my friend Mario Dominguez. Mexico City is one of my favorite places to visit. I love the city and the people, plus some of my closest friends are from there. I hope to give everyone in Mexico City a result they will be proud of on Sunday.”
"This is not just a [sponsorship] project of this team any more," Dominguez said. "This is the project of a country."
Mexico City is installing more than 90 Jumbotron television screens at sporting venues and parks around the city just for the race.
The regulars showed their collective experience by topping the speed charts with occupying the top ten lap speeds posted. Graphic Credit: indycar.com PDF
Rookies And Regulars Run Together, In Unification At INDY
Within their first four to eleven laps, just after the 10:00am PDT start time of the official first day of Practice at Indy, the seasoned drivers who have been to the track and have raced in IndyCar Series for the last few years showed their stuff.
Tony Kanaan – 224.591 – 9 laps, Danica Patrick – 223.479 – 11 laps, Ryan Briscoe – 223.068 – 8 laps, Marco Andretti – 223.041 – 4 laps, Helio Castroneves – 222.893 – 7 laps ... all speed marks above the fastest mark set by the ChampCar transition team rookies with KV Racing Technology's Will Power at 222.267 after 154 laps of practice.
Two other rookies also posted better times than Power in the Rookie Orientation Program with Rahal Letterman Racing's Alex Lloyd - 223.033 after 106 laps and Andretti Green Racing's Hideki Mutoh - 222.600 after only 78 laps.
The biggest story from yesterday comes from Andretti Green Racing driver, nineteen year old Marco Andretti posting a lap speed average of 226.599 mph. This mark bests the 2007 pole qualifying speed set by Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves at 225.817 by nearly 8/10ths of a second.
The regulars showed their collective experience by topping the speed charts with occupying the top ten lap speeds posted. Will Power was able to improve his time and lock down eleventh at 223.550 mph.
Mario Dominguez and presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, share a moment ... each in the middle of their own campaigns. Image Credit: PCM (2008)
Mario Dominguez showed how difficult it is to get to speed on a new track, especially one as unique as Indy.
Day before yesterday on Day 2 of the Rookie Orientation Program, he progressively advanced his times on each lap - 142mph, 171mph, 189mph, 194mph, 199mph, 201.518mph, 204.435mph, 204.777mph – lap 13, 205.024 – lap 17, 205.828, and so on.
He finally posted a 214.358 and completed 48 laps on his first day, Monday.
Mario Dominguez in the #96 Visit Mexico City/Pacific Coast Motorsports Dallara taking first laps at speed on the IMS track. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)
Yesterday, he began to achieve more speed - Mario on the day:“Today we really spent the afternoon building up speed and finding the limits, step by step. Every lap I turn, I learn something.
Yesterday we had to get out there and pass our three phases so we didn’t have time to really focus on anything but that. So today was our first day finding limits and seeing what the car needs. We are fighting a loose condition, but we are working through it.
This racetrack is just phenomenal; it is completely different than any track I have ever run on. I am grateful I have so much oval experience because it helps considerably, but at the same time, this track is different than any other.”
He has completed 61 Laps and is at 30th on the speed charts at 218.306. At the EDJE, we believe that PCM will be able to figure out the set-ups because they really are one of the more competent truly new teams out there.
Today, the fourth day of trials and the third day Mario and the guys at PCM take to the track, the racers face the prospect of a 60% chance of rain. Rain expects to be a threat to practice sessions over the next two days.
Gasoline Alley on a May afternoon. This is where Pacific Coast Motorsports and the rest of the Indy Racing League will be calling home for the month of May(wouldn’t be more appropriate to name the garage area “Corn-Row”? - the cars now race on ethanol biofuel ;- What? ... you never thought of this?). Image Credit: Ddrucki on Flickr
A Midwest Month For Pacific Coast Motorsports
The folks of twenty member traveling team of Pacific Coast Motorsports are beginning to get a feel for their new digs and they feel destined as they streach out in garages 25-27 for the balance of the month of May.
It is all pluses for the first time driver, sponsor and team to the race track that sports the famed “yard of bricks” for their rookie debut in the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500.
Pacific Coast Motorsports Dallara with its new "Visit Mexico City" livery in which "rookie" IndyCar Series driver Mario Dominguez expects to become the first driver born in Mexico to win an Indianapolis 500 sporting event in 92 tries. Image Credit: PCM (2008)
The Oxnard, California-based PCM squad received their two Dallara IndyCar’s just before the Champ Car finale at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Dominguez’s third place finish at Long Beach fueled his team for 15-hour work days the last two-weeks as they prepared for the Indy effort.
While this is the first time the Pacific Coast Motorsports organization has shown up to compete in the Indy 500, there is plenty of experience within the traveling squad. PCM Team Manager Michael Harvey will make his second start, Crew Chief Roy Wilkerson has 12 Indy 500 starts under his belt, while Car Chief Didier Francesia has seven starts with two third-place finishes, and a pole and Gearbox Specialist Chuck Miller has competed at the Speedway seven times.
Mario Dominguez is expected to cross the historic “yard of bricks” for the first time in his #96 Visit Mexico City/PCM Dallara tomorrow, Sunday, May 4th when he participates in the Rookie Orientation Program practice session from 12:00pm – 5:00 pm. The team will concentrate on a qualifying set-up throughout the first week of practice.
"Visit Mexico City" sponsorship colors worn by Mario Dominguez. Mario was named “Mexico City’s Official Driver” last fall 2007 by Mayor Marcello Ebrard. Image Credit: PCM (2008)
“This is a dream come true,” said Dominguez. “Competing in the Indy 500 has been a dream of mine as long as I can remember. I have to thank all of my guys who have been working crazy hours to get us here. Also to the IndyCar Series and the Mexico City Tourism Board for their encouragement and support. To be here is a great honor, now we have a lot of work to do to make sure we make the show.”
Pacific Coast Motorsports announced its IndyCar program last week in a press conference in Mexico City. The news was well received by 80 members of Mexico’s major media outlets. Mario was named “Mexico City’s Official Driver” last fall by Mayor Marcello Ebrard. At the press conference, the city announced they will place 92 jumbo-tron televisions throughout Mexico City, so Mario’s fans can watch him vie to become the ninth rookie and first Mexican driver to win the Indianapolis 500.
Five drivers from Mexico have previously competed at the Indy 500; Josele Garza, Bernard Jourdain, Michele Jourdain Jr, Hector Rebaque and most recently, Adrian Fernandez. Adrian Fernandez holds the highest finishing position by a Mexican driver in the History of the Indianapolis 500; he started sixth and finished seventh in 2004.
Eight rookies have won the Indy 500 … and largely because of the open-wheel racing unification agreement reached between ChampCar and IndyCar hardly a little over two months ago, 13 rookies have entered; all of them are expecting to become the ninth rookie in 92 years to win it all at the end of 500 miles and drink the milk of success from the traditional quart glass bottle!
At the EDJE, we are hoping that it is Mario’s white uniform that will be drenched from the overflow of that first ever victory swill … classic “White-On-White” is the order of the day for Pacific Coast Motorsports come the 25th day of May, 2008. (ht: PCM Press Release)
… notes from The EDJE
UPDATE 5-4-2008: At INDY, "Rookies" Get Their Day In The Sun
The #96 Visit Mexico City - Pacific Coast Motorsports Dallara getting updated with the proper wishbone suspension parts. Image Credit: PCM (2008)
Thirteen of the fourteen registered Rookies that hope to qualify and make it into the race come May 25 took to the "Brick Yard" for the first time.
Mario Dominguez was scheduled to make his rookie debut today in orientation, but some last minute details kept the Pacific Coast Motorsports squad from taking to the track for their first time.
"Once we rolled through tech, three of the four wishbones on the car were deemed unusable by the series. These are suspension pieces that we received with our car and we were not aware these parts are no longer being used," said team owner, Tyler Tadevic. "The guys have been working hard, we're back to being rookies again. We disseminating tons of information trying to catch up and we'll make sure Mario gets through his orientation tomorrow."
Mario discusses strategy with team member after the #96 Visit Mexico City/PCM Dallara has the updated wishbone parts installed. Mario and the rest of the PCM team feel upbeat about being able to get out onto the track for the very first time. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)
The rest of the "Rookies", most of them driving for teams that transitioned from the ChampCar World Series with the unification agreement, posted respectable lap speeds with the cream of the crop circling the rectangle two and a half mile "oval" of upwards to the 220 mph range.
The biggest surprise of the day is how poorly the CCWS Championship Team of Newman/Haas/Lanigan did with their drivers Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson being eighth and ninth fastest for the day ... nearly two miles per hour off of the pace st by Will Power/KV Racing Technology and EJ Viso/HVM Racing.
Day One Rookie Orientation Program Speed-Chart - Image Credit: indycar.com PDF
More on the events of the day from IndyCar writer, Dave Lewandowski>>
... notes from The EDJE
UPDATE - May 6, 2008 - End Of Practice, Day One:
Rookies And Regulars Run Together Mario Dominguez and presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, share a moment ... each in the middle of their own campaigns. Image Credit: PCM (2008)
It looks as though Mario has changed the color of his driving uniform ... it's yellow!
I wonder if the color change happened while he was in the cockpit as he was about to post a lap exceeding 200 mph in his first ever session at IMS (lap 11)?
He finally posted a 214.358 and completed 48 laps on his first day, Monday.
Mario Dominguez in the #96 Visit Mexico City/Pacific Coast Motorsports Dallara taking first laps at speed on the IMS track. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)
Yesterday, he began to achieve more speed - Mario on the day:“Today we really spent the afternoon building up speed and finding the limits, step by step. Every lap I turn, I learn something.
Yesterday we had to get out there and pass our three phases so we didn’t have time to really focus on anything but that. So today was our first day finding limits and seeing what the car needs. We are fighting a loose condition, but we are working through it.
This racetrack is just phenomenal; it is completely different than any track I have ever run on. I am grateful I have so much oval experience because it helps considerably, but at the same time, this track is different than any other.”
He has completed 61 Laps and is at 30th on the speed charts at 218.306. I believe that PCM will be able to figure out the set-ups because they really are one of the more competent new teams out there.
The biggest story from yesterday comes from Andretti Green Racing driver, ninteen year old Marco Andretti posting a lap speed average of 226.599 mph. This mark bests the 2007 pole qualifying speed set by Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves at 225.817 by nearly 8/10ths of a second.
Today, the fourth day of trials and the third day Mario and the guys at PCM take to the track, the racers face the prospect of a 60% chance of rain. Rain expects to be a threat to practice sessions over the next two days.
Mario Dominguez mastering the hairpin just before entering the Long Beach Shoreline Drive straightaway in his Pacific Coast Motorsports Panoz DP01 Image Credit: Andy Sallee - TSO Photographer (2008)
It’s All, Or ALL – "Nothing" Is NOT An Option At Pacific Coast Motorsports
… or, when the pure love of motorsport meets a strong management style.
This year, 2008 has been quite a year for Pacific Coast Motorsports. It started off smooth enough, the kick-off party at the Hard Rock Hollywood was a complete success. Members of the C-300 volunteer group in Long Beach, luminaries’ from the Grand Prix of Long Beach Association, card carrying Screen Actors Guild members, photographers, and fans enjoyed themselves under the guitar and beside the Atlantic racing cars before retiring inside for food and chat.
At that time, back in the middle of February, Pacific Coast Motorsports, under the management of team president, Tyler Tadevic, had plans to compete successfully in two major American open-wheel series. After all, in 2004, the team had put together a series championship winning campaign with Jon Fogarty and was looking to do the same in the ChampCar World Series after what the team had learned from completing its first season in 2007 with a two car, three driver effort with Alex Figge, Ryan Dalziel, and later, ChampCar veteran Mario Dominguez.
Frankie Muniz made a big improvement over his Long Beach debut last year by starting ten positions ahead in the field and finishing four over his 2007 result. “Frankie struggled initially, but by the end of the second qualifying session, he was less than a second off of the pole, and we think that is pretty good for a driver who is only in his third year of racing. It is a big improvement over last year when he was three seconds off of the pole. I am really proud of him.” said PCM Team Owner, Tyler Tadevic. Image Credit: PCM Website (2008)
In about the time it took the PCM transporter to leave Oxnard and drive to Sebring for the first at speed testing for the Atlantic series where Frankie Muniz (yes that, "Malcom In The Middle" star, Frankie Muniz), and Carl Skerlong were anxious to get the season started … an announcement came down that the CCWS would merge with the Indy Racing League starting immediately.
The investment in equipment and relationships that had been forged over previous years that were planned out and put in place, in order to compete at the highest levels of professional motorsports had to be totally re-assessed in a bizarre game of high-stakes 52 card pick-up.
What was once viewed as a 2008 sophomore season chase toward a championship title with American born driver (a dwindling breed) Alex Figge, just became a rookie motorsports competition effort with new equipment, new tracks, new rules, and no driver, no sponsor. All of this with the prospect of having to run one last race through the streets of Long Beach in about two months.
See you all on Shoreline Drive …
Mario Dominguez with outgoing Pacific Coast Motorsports Team Owner, Tom Figge during the Third Place Podium Finish Trophy presentation ceremony at the 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Image Credit: Andy Sallee - TSO Photographer (2008)
This edited and excerpted from Racer Magazine -
SPECIAL: PCM - Poster Child of What’s Possible Written by: David Phillips - Senior writer, RACER Magazine - http://www.racer.com - 04/29/2008 - 04:50 PM - Oxnard, Calif.
The situation is rather different at Pacific Coast Motorsports, where the IndyCar Series’ newest team owner – former team president Tyler Tadevic – has gone into hock up to (and past) his ears to field a pair of Dallara-Hondas for the coming season. And even that wouldn’t have been nearly enough but for the 11th hour arrival of the “Visit Mexico” sponsorship program, courtesy of driver Mario Dominguez and the Tourism Bureau of Mexico City.
Then again, the fact that a team is competing in the 2008 IndyCar Series thanks largely to sponsorship may be the most encouraging sign yet of the altered financial dynamics wrought by the reunification of Indy car racing.
“You look at the other teams and most of those other teams had some sort of investor to facilitate the move from Champ Car,” Tadevic observes. “But ours is one of the only ones that’s set up 100% on sponsorship, sponsorship derived from a driver who went out and sold the program. I like to think of us as the poster child of what is possible.”
Truthfully, PCM is already something of a poster child for the shifting sands of American racing in the 21st century. Founded in 2003 by banker Tom Figge in support of his son Alex’s racing career. ---- PCM then ran the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am GT in ’05 before finishing the year in Daytona Prototypes. A full season of Daytona Prototypes followed with another one in the cards for ’07 until a chance meeting between Tom Figge and Kalkhoven led PCM down the Champ Car path. ---- PCM entered into a partnership with Shane Seneviratne to bring the US RaceTronics Atlantic team under its wings [for 2008]. ---- [The CCWS/IRL merge agreement] spelled the end for the Figges’ cycle of investment, liquidation and re-investment . . . and the emergence of Tadevic as the new owner of the team. ---- “I was able to put myself as far in hock as my creditors would allow me,” Tadevic continues. “I scraped up the sums necessary to buy the company out. Mr. Figge was gracious enough to allow me to do so, and when we parted ways I sort of went all in. As I explained to everybody, ‘I’m all in on a pair of twos!’ I’m either gonna get another two on the draw or I’m gonna have to fold and find something else to do!”
Fortunately, Dominguez arrived with that missing two with a three to boot – as in a third-place finish in the Champ Car swan song at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The deuce? That would be the Visit Mexico sponsorship.
Mario Dominguez at the announcement of the "Visit Mexico City" sponsorship in Mexico City. Image Credit: PCM Website (2008)
“All kudos go to Mario,” says Tadevic. “He’s been working on this program with Mexico City and he was good enough to give us the opportunity to meet with those people. ---- “The program has a lot of potential going forward. We are extremely proud, not only to have Mario but to represent a city the likes of Mexico City. ---- PCM will have to make due with two “used” cars that only arrived at its shop in Oxnard, Calif., the Wednesday before the Long Beach race. The team unloaded its two Dallara-Hondas from the transporter, loaded two Panoz-Cosworths and headed down the coast to Long Beach where Dominguez capped a highly competitive weekend with a fine third place.
Although Tadevic sees Long Beach as a sign of PCM’s growing maturity, he is also keenly aware of the monumental challenge that remains, one that includes not only the IndyCar Series but PCM’s continuing relationship with Seneviratne and US RaceTronics.
“I think our results at Long Beach really indicate we’re taking some significant steps forward,” Tadevic says. “We were really looking forward to running a Champ Car in ’08 as one of the teams to be contended with.” --- “First, we’re not exactly ‘newbies’ when it comes to doing something new and second, with the Atlantic program we’re proud to keep that going and we’re thankful to Mazda and Cooper Tires to keep that series up and running. Third, over the winter, we hired some really capable people with IRL and oval experience, including Didier Francesia a chief mechanic from Target/Ganassi, and we have (crew chief) Roy Wilkerson and (mechanic) Chuck Miller who were with us last year and have a significant number of Indy 500s and time in the IRL under their belts.
“Then, engineering-wise, we brought on Gerald Tyler, who has a ton of oval experience in Indy Lights and Champ Car. It’s the same with our general manager, Michael Harvey. So I think we’re better prepared personnel-wise for the IRL than a lot of other teams. Can we be ‘best of the rest?’ I think we can and I think what we did in Long Beach displays that. As an organization we’re really matured and I think we’re ready to make that next step.” ---- “I’ve become pretty good friends with Michael Cannon, race engineer at HVM,” says Tadevic. “Michael told me the other day, ‘You’re the most ambitious man in motorsports.’ I think what he was really saying was that I’m either the most ambitious man in motorsports – or the stupidest. But we’ll see. All I can say for now is that failure is not in the scope of things. Reference Here>>
Mario Dominguez (center) and Tyler Tadevic (right, sunglasses) celebrates a third place podium finish with the team of Pacific Coast Motorsports at Long Beach. Image Credit: PCM Website (2008)
The key to Pacific Coast Motorsports and Tyler Tadevic's management style (and the absolute love of the competition provided through racing automobiles) can be found in this Tadevic statement, “Every off-season we liquidated what assets we had procured for the series for the season before and throw those funds back towards a new series.
We’d go backwards a bit every time, but not as much as you might think when we were able to take our capital investments and basically roll them into the next investment throughout that entire time.”
It is this tough but smart management strategy through the years at Pacific Coast Motorsports that has allowed Mario Dominguez, at this very moment, to pursue the lifelong dream of competing at the Indianapolis 500. The dream begins Sunday, May 4, with the gates at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track open for spectators from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. ... with the Rookie Orientation Program on track from noon-5 p.m.
We, here at The EDJE, are doubleing down on the success of Tyler Tadevic and the Oxnard, California based team at Pacific Coast Motorsports.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Position Pole - Image Credit: Ballhype.com
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Unifies With First Entrant List
The list features thirty-two drivers named for the 39 car entries, an increase of seven drivers over last year's initial entry list.
Penske has entered a 77 car just on the off chance that Sam Hornish (currently with a full year ride at NASCAR) commits and will be qualifying it.
Hopefully, Paul Tracy will end up in the no.22 Vision car. Contract sticking points with his former team, Forsythe, currently has him sidelined.
We know that there has to be others now that there is unification. Pacific Coast Motorsports is not listed but it is expected that Mario Dominguez and Tyler Tadevic (Team President) can pull a package together for the 500.
With all of the good drivers without a ride, there has to be more teams and personnel to rise up to the challenge.
Initial Entrant List (click to enlarge) - Image Credit: autosport.com
This Excerpted from The Canadian Press -
Open-wheel unification brings 12 rookies onto Indy 500 entry list The Canadian Press – April 11, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS — The unification of U.S. open-wheel racing put 12 rookies, including recent IRL IndyCar Series race-winner Graham Rahal, among the initial list of 32 drivers entered in the Indianapolis 500.
Overall, 39 cars were on the entry list released Friday by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but most of the teams will have at least one backup car for each of their drivers.
"The entry list is very healthy this year," Speedway spokesman Ron Green said. "It's actually similar to what we've had in the last couple of years from an entry standpoint, but it's healthier from the standpoint that there are more car-driver combinations already established going into the month of May."
Practice for the May 25 race will begin with the annual rookie orientation program May 4.
The 19-year-old Rahal, son of car owner and former Indy winner Bobby Rahal, won his IndyCar Series debut last week in St. Petersburg, Fla., becoming the youngest winner of a major open-wheel race in North America. He'll drive the No. 06 Dallara entered by Newman/Haas/Lanigan, one of the former Champ Car teams that joined the Indy Racing League.
The recent merger, which also brings Newman/Haas/Lanigan teammate Justin Wilson of England, includes KV Racing (Oriol Servia and Will Power), Dale Coyne Racing (Bruno Junqueira and Mario Moraes) and Conquest Racing (Franck Perera and Enrique Bernoldi) among the new participants at Indianapolis.
"The unification of the sport, as we all expected, is making the entries, not only for the Indianapolis 500, but for the other IndyCar Series races, much stronger," Green said. "The people that really benefit are the fans that like to see all the car-driver combinations come together for the month of May." ---- Besides Rahal, the rookies include Hideki Mutoh of Japan, who replaced last year's Indy and series champion Dario Franchitti with Andretti Green Racing. Franchitti left the series to race in NASCAR this season. Former winner Sam Hornish Jr. also left the IRL for NASCAR and was replaced on Team Penske by veteran Ryan Briscoe.
The former winners entered this year are Penske's Helio Castroneves (2001 and 2002), Buddy Rice (2004) of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Dan Wheldon (2005) of Ganassi Racing. The other rookies include Bernoldi, Moraes, Perera, Power, Servia, Wilson E.J. Viso, Jay Howard, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alex Lloyd.
Howard and Lloyd are former champions in the Indy Pro Series - now known as Firestone Indy Lights - the IRL's top developmental series. The 12 rookies would be the most to start the race since 13 newcomers started in 1997, the year after the IRL began.
For the second straight year, three women are entered: veterans Danica Patrick, Milka Duno and Sarah Fisher, who will drive for the first time as owner of her own team. Reference Here>>
Graham Rahal takes the checker flag at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg becoming the youngest ever to win an IndyCar Series race. Image Credit: Ron McQueeney – indycar.com
Got Parts! No Sponsor! No Problem - Graham Rahal WINS
This is a great story (again, with apologies to Kenny Chesney)!
It goes from No Parts (and no race for the first race), No Sponsor (Hole In The Wall Camp is, team owner, Paul Newman's charity), to No Problem for the first win by a CCWS T-Team!
Good on Graham Rahal (and father Bobby) of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.
The reason this IS a great story has to do with many reasons.
Graham Rahal came close to winning his first race at the age of 18, last year in the ChampCar World Series when he came in second place on the podium for the Grand Prix of Houston, April 22, 2007.
Rahal came back from a spinout early in the Saint Petersburg race, Sunday afternoon, to become the youngest winner in major open-wheel history. At 19 years, 93 days, Rahal broke the age record set two years ago in Sonoma, Calif., by another driver from a racing family, Marco Andretti, who was 19 years, 167 days old.
With this win, the ChampCar World Series Transition Teams crack the ice on its first win in only two races proving that the “T-Teams” ARE competitive with recognized, established leading teams in the IRL in this first season of unification. Many experts speculated that at minimum, it would take six to ten races for the CCWS T-Teams to catch on to the racing set-ups of the IRL Dallara chassis - Honda engine package. This win was not only won on a closed temporary street course (a CCWS strong point), it was won through strategy.
The driver who came in second had won the race the previous two years running … and was poised, through a strategic last pit stop where Helio Castroneves, of Team Penske, took on fuel only (no tires) and leaped forward seven spots to come in right behind Graham Rahal for the re-start. The trick in strategy at this very point, and very easy to overlook, is that Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (four time CCWS Championship winning team) kept Graham Rahal out hoping that the car would have enough fuel to finish the race. The strategy gamble paid dividends in this unified 2008 IRL season by posting a first ever CCWS T-Team race win in the second of eighteen scheduled races.
Graham Rahal had help with fuel saving yellow flag laps where the racers were slowed and held behind the pace car for several laps while track crews cleaned up after cars that had collected the wall, or each, other around the track during the last stint before the checkered flag that would end the race.
In the final re-start with just a few laps left, it was feared that Castroneves, with all of his winning experience (two-time Indy 500 Champion), would be able to get the drop on the much younger, non-winning Rahal, but Graham’s age hides the fact that he comes from a grand racing DNA tradition being the son of past Three-Time CART Champion, Indy 500 Winner (both as a driver and team owner) and IRL team owner (Rahal-Letterman Racing), Bobby Rahal. Graham Rahal answered the challenge at the re-start by bringing the field up to racing speed before the first turn of the main straightaway to receive the checkered flag and resume racing. All Helio Castroneves could do is maintain position as Graham placed a little distance between them until the end of the rain-dampened race.
Some of the best news for the Indianapolis Racing League in this year of unification is how well the CCWS T-Teams did in a race venue that was completely new to most all of the teams and drivers. Five of the top ten places were occupied by T-Team drivers. P1 - Graham Rahal (Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing), P4 - EJ (Ernesto) Viso (Former Minardi Team USA – HVM Racing), P5 - Enrique Bernoldi (Conquest Racing - with consulting from Forsythe), P7 - Oriol Servia (KV Racing Technology), P8 - Will Power (KV Racing Technology). That is competitive no mater how one slices it!
The Indianapolis Racing League wants to say "Transition tag gone!" (as per an article posted at indycar.com by Dave Lewandowski) but until the IRL management shows an interest in the race weekend at Long Beach (which happens over the same weekend as the engine supplier race (Honda) held in Motegi, Japan), the ChampCar teams will always be viewed as T-Teams!
Com' On! the Long Beach Grand Prix race can not get any play as being listed as a race in the schedule at indycar.com website - No opportunity to link to event information - No ticket sales - NOTHING (as of the writing of this post). To be fair, the ChampCar site isn't much help either, although, this site at least has a link to additional information.
Heck, the race in Long Beach can not even be mentioned by the house writer in his article about Saint Petersburg ... you know, that the next race one will be able to see this race winner, Graham Rahal, compete in is LONG BEACH ... not Motegi, Japan! (please note: the possibility exists that Graham could race in Japan, catch a private jet and start the Long Beach race from the back of the field - pure speculation)
Again, Good on Graham Rahal and the ChampCar World Series Transition Teams for a great showing in the streets of Saint Petersburg, Florida before these guys give one last hurrah to the PANOZ DP01 through the streets in Long Beach.
The DP01 chassis will be featured in the final ChampCar race, and the only ChampCar race that will award IRL points toward the 2008 IRL season championship in the streets at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 17-20, 2008 - Long Beach, California.
See you all on Shoreline Drive!
UPDATE - 4-15-2008:
IndyCar Series News & Notes - April 14, 2008 By indycar.com
Today's IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines **One weekend, two races in two hemispheres **Rahal's win broke three-team, 37-race streak **Web traffic spikes at indycar.com Reference Here>>
Two of the greatest takeaway’s of the article referenced are
1.) Rahal's win broke three-team, 37-race streak:Graham Rahal's victory in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg April 6 for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing was the first by a driver for a team other than Andretti Green Racing, Target Chip Ganassi Racing or Team Penske since Aug. 14, 2005 - a span of 37 IndyCar Series races. Fernandez Racing's Scott Sharp won the race at Kentucky Speedway in 2005 before the streak started.
Read that as T-Team success!
2.) Web traffic spikes at indycar.com:The unification of open-wheel racing under the IndyCar Series banner has already resulted in increased car counts and a renewed interest among sponsors and fans. Another sign of the growing excitement surrounding the unified IndyCar Series is the drastic increase in web traffic at the series' official Web site, http://www.indycar.com/. The site, which unveiled a new, improved design in March, has seen tremendous growth since the beginning of the year.
Read this as people wanting to get information on unification but can not get any.
This article mentions that there is a race in Long Beach … but try to get any direct information on the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach from the indycar.com website.
No. 8 Will Power of KV Racing Technology on the course at St. Petersburg. Will posted the fastest qualifying time at 62.1355 (nearly one-half a second faster than the pole sitter Tony Kanaan) but because the mark was set in Round 2 where the fastest twelve cars race to advance to The Firestone Fast Six. Image Credit: Jim Haines - indycar.com
IRL Knockout Qualifying – The Firestone Fast Six
This format is justly named. The format lent an interest to the affair all-of-it’s-own and it IS a knockout.
The way it is structured is that three rounds with four sessions for timed qualifying are held for all of the qualified entrants (in this case at Saint Petersburg – 26 cars). Two groups of 13 cars each are randomly drawn to compete in Round 1, with both groups having 20 minutes to post their best lap times.
The top six cars from each group advanced to Round 2, where they received 15 minutes on the circuit to post their fastest times.
The top six cars from that group of 12 advanced to the Firestone Fast Six and the six cars start fresh whereas times do not carry over from one round to another.
Three drivers from each of the two groups that were randomly drawn for the first round of qualifications advanced to the "Firestone Fast Six".
The dramatic qualifying format debuted on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit at Saint Petersburg, Florida will carry over to all other Indianapolis Racing League road/street events this season.
The qualifying sessions had no accidents and all went off with several notable surprises along the way.
Tony Kanaan talks with AGR team about his pole setting pace in The Firestone Fast Six qualifying showdown. Kanaan will line up in the first row alongside Will Power in St. Petersburg, Florida. Image Credit: Chris Jones - indycar.com
This excerpted from IndyCar.com –
Round 1 (20-minute session)
Group 1 advancing No. 8 Will Power (1:02.7752; 103.422 mph); No. 11 Tony Kanaan; No. 06 Graham Rahal; No. 34 Franck Perera; No. 14 Darren Manning; No. 17 Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Notables: Perera's final lap (13th) bumped Hideki Mutoh from advancing. … Danica Patrick finished nine in the group. … Power's final lap bumped Kanaan from the top spot in the group. … Mutoh was atop the lap time chart halfway through the 20-minute session. … One of the three Andretti Green Racing cars (Kanaan) advanced.
Group 2 advancing No. 02 Justin Wilson (1:02.7341; 103.293 mph); No. 6 Ryan Briscoe; No. 26 Marco Andretti; No. 3 Helio Castroneves; No. 5 Oriol Servia; No. 10 Dan Wheldon.
Notables: Wilson moved to the top on his 12th of 13 laps. Earlier in the session he came to a stop in Turn 8. … Wilson wasn't in the top six at the halfway point of the 20-minute session. … Scott Dixon, who has been the race runner-up the past two years, did not advance (seventh). … Both Team Penske cars (Briscoe, Castroneves) advanced.
Round 2 – Top Twelve From Groups 1 & 2 (15-minute session)
Six cars advance - "Firestone Fast Six" No. 8 Will Power (1:02.1355; 104.288 - fastest time recorded in all of the qualifying sessions ); No. 11 Tony Kanaan; No. 6 Ryan Briscoe; No. 02 Justin Wilson; No. 17 Ryan Hunter-Reay; No. 3 Helio Castroneves.
Notables: Castroneves jumped from 10th on the time chart to making the final round in the final minute. … Both Target Chip Ganassi Racing cars did not advance; Wheldon was eighth in Round 2. … Marco Andretti was 12th in the session. Reference Here>>
Round 3 – The Firestone Fast Six (10-minute session)
Firestone Fast Six fill out the top six positions in the starting grid.
Final Grid For The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg 2008 (round #2 of the IRL season):
1 11 Kanaan, Tony D/H/F 01:02.5322 103.627 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 2 8 Power, Will D/H/F 01:02.6096 103.499 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 3 02 Wilson, Justin D/H/F 01:02.6426 103.444 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 4 3 Castroneves, Helio D/H/F 01:02.6462 103.438 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 5 6 Briscoe, Ryan D/H/F 01:02.7071 103.338 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 6 17 Hunter-Reay, Ryan D/H/F 01:03.0077 102.845 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six 7 5 Servia, Oriol D/H/F 01:02.7427 103.279 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 8 10 Wheldon, Dan D/H/F 01:02.7964 103.191 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 9 06 Rahal, Graham D/H/F 01:02.8122 103.165 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 10 34 Perera, Franck D/H/F 01:02.8749 103.062 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 11 14 Manning, Darren D/H/F 01:03.0136 102.835 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 12 26 Andretti, Marco D/H/F 01:03.2443 102.460 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 13 9 Dixon, Scott D/H/F 01:03.2365 102.472 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 14 27 Mutoh, Hideki D/H/F 01:03.2757 102.409 Elimination Round 1 Group 1 15 33 Viso, Ernesto D/H/F 01:03.3067 102.359 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 16 15 Rice, Buddy D/H/F 01:03.3591 102.274 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 17 4 Meira, Vitor D/H/F 01:03.4480 102.131 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 18 36 Bernoldi, Enrique D/H/F 01:03.4568 102.117 Elimination Round 1 Group 1 19 7 Patrick, Danica D/H/F 01:03.5766 101.924 Elimination Round 1 Group 1 20 24 Howard, Jay D/H/F 01:03.7447 101.656 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 21 20 Carpenter, Ed D/H/F 01:03.8007 101.566 Elimination Round 1 Group 1 22 19 Moraes, Mario D/H/F 01:04.1590 100.999 Elimination Round 1 Group 1 23 23 Bell, Townsend D/H/F 01:04.3880 100.640 Elimination Round 1 Group 1 24 2 Foyt IV, AJ D/H/F 01:04.4996 100.466 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 25 25 Roth, Marty D/H/F 01:07.7041 95.711 Elimination Round 1 Group 1 26 18 Junqueira, Bruno D/H/F 01:09.3851 93.392 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2
Can anyone one believe that HALF of the top ten positions on the grid are occupied by drivers and teams that have transitioned from the ChampCar World Series (CCWS T-Teams in bold)?
Many of the experts were fond of saying that “it will take about six to ten races” for the T-Teams to become competitive, tell that to Will Power who posted the fastest time on the track at 62.1355 seconds. This time was about one-half a second faster than the eventual Pole Position speed of Tony Kanaan at 62.5322 seconds.
How about a P2 and a P3 starting position for Will Power and Justin Wilson respectively – Great stuff ... and Will Power will have no wing to stare at when he takes the checkered flag to start the race.
Good On! the CCWS T-Teams, if round two of 2008 at Saint Petersburg, Florida is any indication of the success that comes from a unified series, this will be an exciting year.
The second round race can be seen on ESPN starting at 11:30 am PT, Sunday, April 6, 2008.
Too bad we can't have all of these guys to race on Shoreline Drive at Long Beach THIS year!
Indy Racing League CEO and founder Tony George shook hands with Champ Car World Series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven in front of a packed meeting room at Homestead-Miami Speedway to formally announce the unification. Standing behind them as a sign of unity were nearly two dozen drivers from both series. In photo looking on from left to right: Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti of Andretti/Green Racing, and Robert Doornbos of Minardi Team USA - Image Credit: Shawn Payne
That’s right, there will no longer be two competing major professional open-wheel racing series to split the pool of available team owners, drivers, sponsors, loyalties of fans, and formula rules managed here in North America.
With unification, it will give participants the ability for all to build a competitive series of annual races (Tony George, President of the IRL looks to have 20 races in the schedule for 2009) that will lend the world an alternative to the “Anything Goes” structure of Formula One (which currently has races in 18 venues).
“American” open-wheel automobile racing has always sought to have a formula on which to race focused on safety, and controlling costs while allowing racing teams to have a greater than equal chance at being competitive with each other. On any given race day, any driver could win a pole position or a race because the equipment and the rules that govern the use of the equipment and on track race management (stoppages for debris, accidents and pit stops) help to promote parity.
In Formula One, the expenditures for equipment are basically not an issue and the rules that govern use of technology are at a minimum. On track race management rules do not allow for drivers to catch up during stoppages for accidents and there is no “Yellow Flag” restart process as there is in American auto sports. While the automobiles that are created bust the bounds of imagination in performance, the competition basically remains with the racing teams that spend the most money. Winning is left in the control of two to three teams throughout the course of a season.
Image Credit: indycar.com
This excerpted from Racing One –
Unification Announced J.J. O'Malley - RacingOne Contributor - HOMESTEAD, Fla - Posted Wednesday, February 27, 2008
After 12 years of division - and nearly 30 years of animosity - the leaders of American open-wheel racing declared it's time to look forward and proceed with a unified IndyCar Series.
Indy Racing League CEO and founder Tony George shook hands with Champ Car World Series co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven in front of a packed meeting room at Homestead-Miami Speedway to formally announce the unification. Standing behind them as a sign of unity were nearly two dozen drivers from both series.
Brian Barnhart, IRL vice president of operations, said that anywhere from 8-12 cars from former Champ Car teams could be added to the grid for the season-opening Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300, set for March 29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Champ Car teams joining the IndyCar Series will each get two Dallara chassis from a pool of exiting new and used chassis; a one-year Honda engine lease; and $1.2 million per car from the IndyCar TEAM program.
To facilitate the transition, Champ Car teams will be partnered with IndyCar Series teams. For instance, Kalkoven's team (now known as KV Racing in partnership with Jimmy Vasser) will work with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Rahal Letterman will work with Newman/Haas/Lanigan, and Andretti Green will work with Forsythe.
Also to be consolidated into the IndyCar Series are several of Champ Car's tangible properties - including the medical transporter - and intellectual and historical properties, including Champ Car's historical records. [View List Of Drivers That Competed In CART and Champ Car World Series That Will Now Join The History Of The Indianapolis Racing League]
As rumored, the April 20 race at Long Beach, California, will be the final event for the current Champ Car Panoz chassis and Cosworth engines, although it will follow the IndyCar Series purse and point structure. Kalkhoven hinted that he would not be surprised to see several of the IndyCar Series drivers flying in from the Saturday IndyCar Series race at Motegi, Japan, to also race at Long Beach.
In addition, races at Edmonton, Canada, and Surfer's Paradise, Australia, may be added to the current 16-race IRL schedule.
George said at the beginning of the conference that he was recently reflecting on the 30th anniversary of his grandfather's death (former Indianapolis Motor Speedway head Tony Hulman, who passed away in 1977), and realized that it had been 30 years since the sport has been truly unified. ---- Kalkhoven said that he and George have talked about the unification for four years.
"It's been a long and hard road to get here," Kalkhoven said. "But, we are here. Unification in itself is not a magic bullet. This will take a lot of hard work. This still requires a huge amount of work."
Barnhart said that there was 100 percent attendance by the Champ Car teams at a recent orientation in Indianapolis.
"They were genuinely pleased with the package they were offered," he said. ---- "We hope to get through this 2008 season and make this a story for the fans," George said. "If the fans are happy, we will have happy teams and sponsors. ---- The Indy Racing League began competition in 1996, running an initial three-race schedule. The IRL and CART ran head-to-head on the Memorial Day weekend that year, with the U.S. 500 run at Michigan International Speedway the same time that the Indianapolis 500 was run. ---- Homestead Testing Underway Wednesday also marked the opening of two days of testing for the IndyCar Series on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway oval. None of the Champ Car teams had cars at the test, with 17 IndyCar Series regulars participating.
Spring Training continues March 3-6 at Sebring International Raceway. The series will be divided into two groups of cars, each testing for two days.
While the Champ Car teams are not expected to be ready for the Sebring test, they will have two days of testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Monday and Tuesday March 24-25.
In addition to the four cars from Andretti-Green Racing (Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick and Hideki Mutoh) and two each from Team Penske (Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon) and Marty Roth Racing (Roth and Jay Howard), A.J. Foyt (Darren Manning), Rahal Letterman (Ryan Hunter-Reay) and Panther Racing (Vitor Meira) had one car each for the Homestead test. Vision Racing brought a second car for Anthony Foyt to partner with Ed Carpenter, while Dreyer Reinbold brought a second car for Milka Duno to join Buddy Rice. ---- The 2008 [unified] IndyCar Series season takes the green flag at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 29, with the Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300 Reference Here>>
Graham Rahal charging a corner ... Team Rahal Letterman will work with Team Newman/Haas/Lanigan - Image Credit: Newman/Haas/Lanigan
Several ChampCar teams that have issued first responses are as follows:
First off, Forsythe Racing will not compete in the unification series (originally paired up with AGR for the transition) opting to pull out and race only in the former feeder series of Formula Atlantic which becomes an unassociated and independent entry-level professional series.
Statement from Frosythe Racing website -
Forsythe Racing to Focus on Atlantic Championship Champ Car February 28, 2008
Forsythe Championship Racing LLC, which has participated in CART and Champ Car over the past 13 seasons, will cease operations following the April 20th Long Beach Grand Prix. Parent company Forsythe Racing, Inc. will continue its Atlantic program with drivers James Hinchcliffe and David Garza.
Thanks to all the fans who supported us over the years! Reference Here>>
This, from a strong team with the following statistics: TEAM STATS Years: 16 Victories: 32 Poles: 34
Paul Tracy needs a ride - Career: 30 Champ Car Wins, 25 Poles, 2003 Champ Car Champion
Conquest Racing was the first team to issue an announcement from team owner, Eric Bachelart stating that they will field two cars fot the season opening race to be held March 29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Franck Perera was announced as one of the drivers, with the other driver still to be announced.
This excerpted from the IndyCar website -
"Finally, we have come together as one," Bachelart said. "It's been a long time coming and we can now all move ahead in the same direction under one roof. The work is only starting, but now that there is solidarity in open-wheel racing it will make it that much easier to take this sport to where it needs to be.
"It's a great moment for open-wheel racing in general and for the fans and our sponsors. We are happy to be competing under the Indy Racing League banner with our other fellow 'Champ Car' competitors against established IndyCar Series teams and we are also looking forward to the new challenge that this unification brings us."
Added Bachelart, who participated as a driver in the 1992 and 1995 Indianapolis 500:
"The first few races won't be easy, but we gladly accept the challenge. Thankfully, we will not be in complete unknown territory having competed in the IRL in 2002.
Obviously, the competition level has increased since then and there is a lot of work that needs to be done before we get to the same level as the IRL teams, but that's what racing is all about. We are really excited and can't wait to get to work on the Dallaras." Reference Here>>
Tony Kanaan, right, chats with Bruno Junqueira, while Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe (in red) listen in. Image Credit: Dave Lewandowski - indycar.com
PKV Racing’s site is under construction.
Dale Coyne Racing’s site hasn’t had a news release since the end of last year although Bruno Junqueira was in attendance at the Homestead announcement.
Rocketsports Racing – No Update since 2-5-2008
Dutchman, Robert Doornbos of Minardi Team USA in the "Fountain Corner" at the 2007 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Image Credit: Sutton Motorsport Images
Minardi Team USA - No Update since 2-4-2008
This excerpted from Walker Racing website –
UPDATE FOR THE FANS: Back to the Future By: Derrick Walker - February 23, 2008
After four long weeks, we can finally say the deal is done. Walker Racing wanted to take this opportunity to update the fans again with what we know and where we go from here. ---- Now the merger is done. It's day one of the rest of our lives. What are we doing and what is needed to complete the transition for the teams?
One of the major hurdles for the teams is going to be getting access to all of the parts necessary to turn up and compete at a level similar to what they were doing in Champ Car. There is a lot to learn about the new car, which will be a separate learning curve and a separate hurdle. In the next six weeks the teams have to get cars, kits and all the parts necessary to run the cars, build them and test for at least four to six days, which will be a luxury if they manage it for the first event. ---- Top down view of the very capable DP01 racing chassis that will go away after the 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Image Credit: Walker Racing
Probably the most difficult factor for the teams will be acquainting themselves to an IRL car. There is a lot to be done in a short span of time and, because of the time frame, it will be an expensive six weeks for the teams to endure.
Having said that, it's probably the cart before the horse when looking at what needs to be done. Once it's known what the series is doing and everyone has gotten over the merger announcement, it needs to be determined if the sponsors are still interested. ---- If you take Walker Racing specifically, since the last race in 2007, we have gone from a two car program in Champ Car to maybe a two car program in the IndyCar Series. A lot of time has been lost in being able to move forward and secure a two car program. One car is the first step. I think the Champ Car teams are going to be somewhat surprised when they see the cost of the Indy Car and this will be an ongoing concern as the season unfolds.
For example, in Champ Car you can't do wind tunnel testing. In the IndyCar Series you can. ---- These are all differences and transitional ramp up elements, which is specifically team related. As we have seen in the Champ Car situation, it is possible to reduce the cost and not affect the show. For the 2007 season, there were more competitive entries and more challenges for race wins than there probably was in the last three years prior. Stabilizing the formula, bringing the costs down, and containing development would really be a request, if nothing else, to the league for 2010. ---- All of the employees and drivers (Will Power and Simon Pagenaud) have been extremely patient with the process. It's hard to imagine saying to an athlete who's racing or playing for a championship to put their careers on hold for several months while the sport decides if it's going to be playing at Wimbledon or not. It's hard to imagine the effect on a driver to be put on hold like this, but Will has been very supportive of the team and has been standing by for this important announcement to be made so that he can get into the car and go racing.
We would like to continue to thank the fans for your continued support. We will keep you posted on this new journey and what this means for open wheel racing and Walker Racing. Reference Here>>
And finally, this from Pacific Coast Motorsports website –
Pacific Coast Motorsports Statement on the Unification of Open-Wheel Racing Katie Brannan, Feburary 22, 2008
Tyler Tadevic, Team Director - Pacific Coast Motorsports
“We are thrilled to have a unified series, without a doubt this provides the strongest platform for our partners going forward. It is our intention for Pacific Coast Motorsports to continue its open-wheel endeavors. Our goal is to be on the IRL grid at the GAINSCO Grand Prix in Miami with two IndyCars. We are working diligently on this program and welcome all opportunities.
In addition, it is our intention to continue our Atlantic program with our young American stars Frankie Muniz and Carl Skerlong. Vicki O’Connor (Atlantic President) has a long, successful history leading the Atlantic series and we are confident she will find the series a good home.
We are grateful to the Champ Car community and to our fans who have shown us great support and we look forward to a brighter future for Open-Wheel Racing in North America.” Reference Here>>
Today Speedway, Indiana is primed to build upon the town’s unique history and motorsports ancestry – both an integral part of the rich fabric that makes Speedway a great place to live, work, play, learn and shop. /// From creating four vibrant development districts primed for business growth – including the Motor Sports Technology district, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway district, the Museum/Entertainment/Retail district and the Town Center district – to working with the state of Indiana to develop targeted incentive packages that will attract domestic and international companies and stimulate startup firms, Speedway, Indiana is poised for fast success. Image Credit: IndyCar Garage
"Speedzone" redevelopment plan for Main Street Speedway, Indiana. I wonder if this crowd knows that ESPN already uses "SpeedZone" for the name of its themed restaurant at "Downtown Disney" outside of Disneyland Amusement Park in Anaheim California? Image Credit: Speedway Redevelopment - from PDF 
