Rubens Barrichello in IndyCar: Good or Bad?

January 28, 2012

The question being asked by many people over the past week is; would Rubens Barrichello joining the IndyCar Series be a positive or a negative? To me, that is a rhetorical question.

The former Brazilian Formula One driver will be testing for KV Racing next week, and the speculation is that the ride could be his if he wants it. While he hasn’t expressed any interest in racing on ovals, everyone can agree that he would be a fierce competitor on the road and street courses.

Barrichello will be at Sebring International Raceway driving a Dallara DW12 for KV Racing as part of a two-day test starting Monday. The fit would seem natural; given his potential teammate would be his long time friend and fellow Brazilian, Tony Kanaan.

Barrichello has spent the last 19 seasons in Formula One, but was replaced in early January at Williams by Bruno Senna. He is an 11-time winner in the series, and recorded 68 podium finishes in his career. He finished runner up in the Championship twice, in 2002 and 2004.

In the past, he has said his wife would not let him race in the IndyCar Series, because of the high-risk speeds on the oval tracks. While understandable given the recent tragedy of Dan Wheldon, there are many reasons why he would be an ideal fit for the IndyCar Series.

The oval thing is being blown way out of proportion. The 2012 IndyCar Series schedule only has four ovals (counting Indianapolis). Why any driver in the world would not want to race at Indianapolis is beyond me. It is the greatest race in the world, and is far more popular globally than the Daytona 500. The event itself is even bigger than Monaco.

Now looking at this from the other angle, you have the majority of the schedule comprised of road and street courses. Obviously the 19 years in Formula One will give him the experience he needs to find his way around the course. Learning the layout of each track will require extra preparation, but it isn’t that big of a deal.

Of course Barrichello has no experience driving this new Dallara DW12, but who in the series does? Honestly, he is in the same boat as all of the other drivers in the series.

Having Barrichello in the IndyCar Series in 2012 would undoubtedly bring more attention to the sport both nationally and globally. KV Racing would definitely benefit from his knowledge and ability to gather information about the car.

Seeing him on the road/street courses battling Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Scott Dixon, and Justin Wilson would be a treat for everyone watching. I can only imagine the frenzy that we would see at the Sao Paulo race in Brazil.

When you look at it big picture, it really would be a win-win for everyone involved.

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Turn Four Decides Indianapolis Legacies

January 21, 2012

Some of the greatest accomplishments in sports have been aided by a small amount of luck. In racing, it is no different.

Last year’s Indianapolis 500 featured many iconic moments, none bigger than the finish. Rookie JR Hildebrand was one turn away from putting his name on the Borg-Warner trophy, when the unthinkable happened.

Hildebrand went high in turn four, smacking the wall, and lost the race in the final few hundred yards.

Dan Wheldon went on to grab his second Indy 500 victory, which was just as emotional as the first. His partnership with Bryan Herta made the win even more special. It was an incredible finish, no doubt. While it was a major storyline for the rest of the season, there was a previous instance that was eerily similar.

The 2002 Indianapolis 500 is remembered for “the pass” by Paul Tracy that didn’t count. Whether or not Paul actually got around Helio Castroneves before the yellow came out will forever be debated. While it was an amazing event, it overshadowed another one.

The 2002 race was looking like a spectacular one from Tomas Scheckter. He started the race in tenth position, and led 85 laps on the day. Late in the race, he had built up an 8.3 second lead over then second-place Tracy. In similar fashion to the 2011 race, Scheckter slammed into the wall coming out of turn four, while leading.

On the previous pit stop, Scheckter got a set of scrub tires, which may have made the car take on heavy understeer without any warning. It is obvious that Scheckter and JR both have what it takes to win here, and will continue to be a threat to win every May.

Everyone not named Paul Tracy knows that Helio ended up winning that race. It was his second victory at the time, posting back-to-back wins at the famous speedway. This may seem like coincidence at first, but when you consider what happened in both races, it really is quite interesting.

The 2002 and 2011 race both featured two rookie drivers who were leading at the time of their impact with the turn four wall. Both of those drivers started their respective race from the fourth row. Both eventual race winners claimed their second victory at the time.

Obviously JR and Tomas know their way around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hildebrand is with Panther Racing, one of the best teams to ever take to the track. Among active drivers, only Tony Kanaan has led more laps than Scheckter at Indy without drinking the milk.

There is no doubt these two will continue to have success not only at Indianapolis, but in the Series as well. They just happen to have both experienced the ultimate high and low in an Indianapolis 500 race.

Taking nothing away from Helio and the late Dan Wheldon, can you imagine how much different it would be today had Tomas and JR not met the turn four wall? Helio and Dan will forever be known as phenomenal drivers though.

No driver has ever won the Indianapolis 500 with some amount of luck. The problems that Hildebrand and Scheckter had are well documented. Without that kind of heartbreak though, it would not be the Indianapolis 500. The speedway never has and never will “owe” anybody anything, but seeing Scheckter or Hildebrand in victory lane would just feel right.

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Dakar Rally 2012 USA

January 17, 2012

The annual Dakar Rally, also known as “The Dakar” is an exciting rally raid type of off-road race that dates back to 1978. Drivers and riders go against each other, and against the extreme terrain. Competitors from more than 50 countries travel for the annual event, which features 465 vehicles over the course of 14 exciting stages of racing.

In 2009 the Dakar Rally was first run in South America, mainly Argentina, Peru, and Chile. While the event is open to amateur and professional drivers, only the strong prevail in the end. Nearly 80 percent of the field is comprised of amateurs, but for most, the rough and tough terrain is simply too much ton conquer.

The vehicles are true off-road machines, unlike some modified rally cars used in other places. Making up most of the course are a variation of dunes, mud, camel grass, rocks, and sand. Each stage of racing varies in distance as well, sometimes reaching 550 miles per day.

The race evolved in a rather unique fashion. In 1977, racer Thierry Sabine got lost in the desert and decided it would be a great place to hold a rally. The event actually started from Paris every year from 1979 to 1994, as well as 1998 and 2001. The different classes of vehicles range from bikes and ATVs, to cars and trucks.

The defending champions are; Red Bull’s Cyril Despres (Bikes), Alejandro Patronelli (ATVs), Stephane Peterhansel (Cars), and Gerard de Rooy (Trucks).

The 2012 Dakar Rally will be staging a pan-American race of nearly 10,000 kilometres from start to finish. This year, the route will take the event from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, giving the drivers new terrain to dive into. This new area of racing will also lead to a change in format for the 2012 race, as there will be a total of 14 racing days.

Drivers will be following the Andes Mountains as they cross the Atacama, which will provide many new obstacles in the dunes of Peru. Once they get through that, they will be faced with the climbing challenges provided by Chile’s rough terrain. While the driving ability is so vital for success, it will also be important for the drivers to be able to navigate their way through the desert.

Every year there are countless vehicles lost to mechanical failure, accidents, and even catching fire. Often times, the rescue trucks themselves actually become victims of the unforgiving terrain.

Red Bull’s official Dakar 2012 site has covered the entire event from start to finish with all the news, videos, blogs and pictures. To find out all the action on and off the road visit the site here.

Sponsored Post

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Sebring Provides Look at New Era in INDYCAR

January 16, 2012

It seems like just days ago teams were tweeting pictures of the new DW12 car arriving in their facilities. Now, they are not only put together, but they are out on the track, testing. Many of the teams have their signature livery already on for everyone to see. Graham Rahal was talking earlier this week about the sound of the engines. There will be plenty of heads turning in May as they whip around the most famous race track in the wold.

Thanks to INDYCAR and Panther Racing for providing some of the pictures.

Dario Franchitti's Honda DW12

A better angle.

Simona driving the black & gold Lotus.

Helio taking his Chevy for a spin.

TK in the familiar number 11. This is no 7-11 machine though.

Panther Racing unloading Hildebrand's ride.

JR ready to roll.

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Is Helio Castroneves Ready To Make History?

January 12, 2012

The last time we saw a driver win his fourth Indianapolis 500 was Rick Mears, when he won it in 1991. Is 2012 the year we finally see Helio Castroneves join this exclusive club?

Helio grabbed his third victory at Indianapolis in 2009. It was a long dry spell since his second win, but once he pulled his Penske machine into victory lane for the third time, people began to wonder when, not if, he would get his fourth. Helio may not share the same personality as the legends Foyt, Unser, and Mears away from the track, but they all showed the drive, determination, and pure skill needed to accomplish their outstanding achievements.

Helio knows what Indianapolis means, and he truly appreciates and relishes in the history and tradition of the greatest race in the world. His passion for this race is electric, and his love for the people involved is immeasurable.

Paul Tracy will tell you that Helio has only won the 500 twice, and that will never change. Some people say he was extremely fortunate on that day. While that may or may not be true, the fact is nobody has ever won the Indianapolis 500 four times without some amount of luck and good fortune.

Foyt, Unser, and Mears all had a little bit of magic in getting their respected fourth win at Indianapolis.

Foyt’s fourth win in 1977 came as a surprise, as Gordon Johncock’s motor went up in smoke as he was leading with just 15 laps remaining. Mears’ fourth victory at Indy in 1991 was helped by a late caution flag that allowed him to close on Michael Andretti, who held a 15 second lead.

Unser won his fourth 500 in 1987 when Mario Andretti famously slowed with mechanical problems while leading. He was actually let go by Penske Racing before the season, but was the replacement driver for Danny Ongais after he wrecked earlier in the week.

Helio has been dominant at times at the Speedway, yet struggled in 2011, which was a microcosm of his entire season. For the first time since 1999, Helio failed to win at least one race during the season. Now, it appears he is no longer the top dog in Penske’s stable, as fellow driver Will Power has finished runner-up in the Championship standings the past two seasons.

While Power has the better overall package, it would be a mistake to think that Roger Penske will not have all three drivers on the same level heading into the 2012 Indy 500. In fact, the championship is an afterthought when you come to Indianapolis. Helio knows that time is ticking, and he is going to have to do it soon. He has the experience, the equipment, and the talent to rewrite the history books this year.

While May 27 is still far into the future, you can rest assured that Helio is thirsty; both literally and figuratively.

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Could The “Month” of May Return in 2012?

January 1, 2012

It is not news to any of us that the economy has made everyone cut back. Businesses have closed, been bought out, and let many long-time workers go. Even the Greatest Spectacle in Racing was affected. Is that all about to change?

The “Month of May” was condensed into a two-week flurry of action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The changes were made in a cost-cutting effort, which has yielded positive results. In the past 2 years alone, officials have reduced IMS staffing by nearly 20 percent, including big changes to the Brickyard Crossing Inn.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of the change were the out-of-town teams, as they saved at least $10,000 in hotel accommodations, possibly more. You then have to figure in the cost of food and the cost of cleaning all of the uniforms.

The Speedway itself has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past few years. They haven’t needed as big of a staff as they had during the month-long format.

There are some good reasons why INDYCAR should consider going back to the old format for May.

As it stands right now, there are only four oval races on the schedule for 2012. There won’t be any ovals before the series comes to Indianapolis. When you consider how little the teams have had to work on the new cars and engines, it seems everyone could benefit from the extra practice.

The lack of ovals has also pushed away some of the fans that crave the high-speed races. The series was born with these tracks, though the best ones (Kentucky, Michigan, Kansas, Richmond, Chicagoland, Nashville, New Hampshire) aren’t on this year’s schedule. Iowa, Texas, and California are good, but it’s simply not enough.

There are rumors swirling that Milwaukee could be added to the schedule soon, giving the series a total of five ovals; if you include the rectangular IMS as an oval.

Fans will surely have a hunger for more ovals during the course of this season. That, coupled with the uncertainty of the new car/engines at IMS still might not be enough to get the format switched back. The cost of changing it back would be too much for the teams, and the Speedway to bear.

With the extra practice time, comes the added risk of someone making a mistake on the track. Crashing a car during practice almost ensures that you’re going to be behind. Some teams actually have to fold up and retire from the event early, as was the case last year with Dragon Racing.

Now that we have officially welcomed in 2012, the countdown to this year’s Indianapolis 500 stands at 146 days.

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Indy 500 Winner Joe Dawson, 100 Years Later

December 28, 2011

If you ask even the most casual fan of racing, they can likely tell you that Ray Harroun won the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. They may also be able to tell you that Rick Mears, Al Unser, and AJ Foyt were the only three drivers to win the race four times.

What they won’t be able to tell you is who won the 1912 Indianapolis 500.

Dawson's 1912 Winning Car

 

Much like Harroun, Joe Dawson was an American driver that was driving the company car to victory lane on May 30th. Dawson finished the race about 20 minutes faster than Harroun, and his average speed was just over 78 mph, compared to Harroun’s 74 mph in 1911.

While Harroun took his famous Marmon Wasp across the finish line first, Dawson took his National Motor Vehicle machine to the front. He would be the last American to win the race until Howdy Wilcox won it in 1919.

Joe Dawson was born on April 19, 1889 in Odon, Indiana. He competed in the 500 three times, winning in his second attempt after finishing fifth in the inaugural event. At the time, he was 22 years old, giving him the honor of being the youngest winner of the 500 until Troy Ruttman won in 1952.

The magical history of his win in 1912 was that Ralph DePalma led 196 of the 200 laps. He fell out of the race with a mechanical failure, sealing the victory for Dawson. He started the race in seventh position, and led just two laps on the day. Those would be the only two laps that he would lead in his three races at Indianapolis.

Ironically, Dawson held the record for leading the fewest laps (2) of any 500 winner until this past year, when the late Dan Wheldon captured his second 500 victory after leader JR Hildebrand crashed coming out of turn four.

DePalma had a 5 1/2 lap lead over the second place car at the time of his infamous mechanical failure. While he and his riding mechanic pushed his car around the track, the 80,000 fans in attendance cheered them on to the finish. The $50,000 purse slipped from his grasp, and into the hands of Dawson.

Ralph Mulford, who was involved in the controversial finish in 1911, had some mechanical problems throughout the race. He had to stop numerous times to fix his clutch problems, and keeps making his laps. Dawson crossed the finish line hours before Mulford finished his final lap. According to some reports, he and his mechanic stopped for fried chicken and ice cream during the race.

Finally at 8:53pm (long after president Carl Fisher and starter Fred Wagner leave the grounds) Mulford completes his final lap. With his average speed of 56 mph, the 1912 race is the slowest finishing speed race in Indianapolis 500 history to date.

With 2011 in our rear-view mirror, we can focus on the next generation of cars in the 2012 Indianapolis 500. The talent in this year’s field will be one of the deepest in the history of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

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Penske Switches Car Number, Foyt Lands Conway

December 20, 2011

Penske Racing will have the same three-driver lineup for 2012, but one of the teams will still look a little different.

Today the team announced that the previously named number six car of Ryan Briscoe, will now go with the famous Penske number two. They didn’t stop there though, also naming Jonathan Diuguid as the new race engineer for Briscoe’s car.

Diuguid is not new to the team, as he has been there since 2005 when he was a member of the Penske Porsche sports car team. He had many engineering roles there, before moving on to Briscoe’s team two years ago where he has been the data acquisition engineer.

The team decided to switch numbers this year because of the history and tradition with the number two. Still, they have won multiple Indianapolis 500 races with the previously used number six, but many open-wheel history buffs will welcome the change this season.

The famous number two open wheel car has competed in 142 races over the years. Briscoe will become just the sixth driver to get behind the wheel of the two car. A sponsor announcement has not been made for the team, but that should come in the next few weeks.

Penske has been involved with INDYCAR since 1968 with Mark Donohue. Their first entry in Indianapolis came the following season, in 1969. Just three years later in 1972, they won their first of many 500s with Donohue. They have won the Greatest Spectacle in Racing a record 15 times, claiming pole position 15 times as well.

The other major announcement coming out of the INDYCAR Series today was the signing of driver Mike Conway by AJ Foyt Racing. Conway will take over the famous number 14 car, giving the team some much-needed strength on the road/street courses next season.

Conway won his first race this past season at Long Beach. Six times last season he qualified in the top ten on the road/street courses. He also had four top ten finishes in those events.

This move will guarantee at least one change at Andretti Autosport, with only two drivers (Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay) confirmed for 2012 as of right now. This could open up the door for last year’s top rookie James Hinchcliffe to secure a spot in the Go Daddy car.

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INDYCAR Off-Season Has Already Experienced Highs and Lows

December 9, 2011

The 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series season was a roller coaster ride. Following a traumatic conclusion in the finale, this off-season has also had its share of ups and downs.

It was just recently announced that the series will not be returning to Las Vegas next season. After the tragic death of Dan Wheldon, Randy Bernard seems convinced that the track just isn’t safe enough for Indy Cars right now. While I understand his reasoning, I find it hard to believe the sport will never return. NASCAR didn’t stop racing at Daytona after Earnhardt’s death, and they would continue to race at Indy if a driver was killed in the 500. I realize Vegas is not on the same level, but it’s the precedence.

Bernard does realize the importance of ovals on the schedule, and it is believed he is doing everything he can to get more of them. He did arrange for the Vegas race this year and California next year. He also got a deal done with Milwaukee and New Hampshire. They have also been discussing Phoenix as a possibility as well. The idea is to get some of the smaller ovals such as Richmond back on the schedule.

Another interesting possibility would be Nashville. The speedway does not have any contracts for 2012, so there shouldn’t be any conflicts. The size is perfect for racing, as well as the stands with about 50,000 seats. The opportunity to showcase the hometown talents of Newgarden should also perk up the interest in racing there.

Sadly, we saw Newman Haas Racing shut down their veteran team. Money has been hard to find for the team since the passing of Mr. Newman a couple of years ago. The team’s place in history is well kept though, as only Chip Ganassi’s team has won more championships since 1983, and only Team Penske has more race wins. They will be missed, but they can be proud of all of their accomplishments.

Brian Barnhart is out of race control, which has everyone celebrating. Although he had his fair share of rough moments during the season, it should be noted that his job was incredibly difficult. Unlike other sports, there is only one official during the event, which puts so much pressure on whoever it is. Randy Bernard is keeping Barnhart as president of racing operations, where he should feel more at ease. He lasted 15 years as the chief steward, and I don’t think the next one will last half as long as he did.

A few days ago Sarah Fisher Racing signed driver Josef Newgarden, a native of Nashville, Tennessee. Josef won the Firestone Indy Lights Championship this season after capturing five victories along the way, including the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While they are not able to do a full-season this year, Fisher said it was in the plans for the future. Newgarden signed a three-year contract.

On Thursday, Simon Pagenaud was finally confirmed as the driver for Sam Schmidt’s team for the 2012 season. He signed with the team during the season, which will reunite him with team manager Rob Edwards for the Indy-area team.

Finally, the celebrity Go Kart race at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is this Sunday. The Amateur racing starts at 1pm, while the pro race (4:30pm) will feature six NASCAR drivers, and six INDYCAR drivers. The six drivers from the IICS are Ed Carpenter, Tomas Scheckter, Alex Tagliani, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Jay Howard, and Josef Newgarden. Former INDYCAR driver and defending NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart will also be in the race.

There have been some interesting things happen already, and we haven’t even begun to talk about all of the driver and team changes for next year.  There is also the anticipation of the DW12 cars, and the new engine manufacturers. Stay tuned.

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Newman Haas Racing Shuts Its Doors

December 1, 2011

One of the most successful and most popular teams of the IZOD INDYCAR Series will not be competing in 2012.

Newman-Haas Racing, the team that carried the name of late actor Paul Newman, announced today that they will not enter cars for the 2012 season. In a statement released by team officials, they said that the economic climate no longer would enable the team to compete.

The team has been involved in open wheel racing since 1983. They won 107 races, 109 pole awards, and a total of eight series championships in that time span. Some of the greatest drivers ever to get behind the wheel had the honor of driving for Newman-Haas. Guys like Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Paul Tracy, Nigel Mansell, Cristiano da Matta, Sebastien Bourdais, Graham Rahal, and this year’s drivers Oriol Servia and James Hinchcliffe.

Servia had the best year of his veteran career, finishing fourth in the IZOD INDYCAR Series championship standings. Teammate Hinchcliffe also had an outstanding season, earning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.

Speed.com reported this evening that the team’s 33 employees were told they would be released effective immediately, with severance pay through December 31st. After that, the team will close its doors for good.

The team members will likely find some work for next season, but the fate of the two talented drivers is up in the air at this point.

Hinchcliffe has been eyed by many teams around the garage area, and with his ties to Honda, he might be a perfect fit for either Rahal Letterman Lanigan or A.J. Foyt Racing. Servia has also been linked to those teams, as well as Andretti Autosport. Since neither driver has significant personal backing, it would be hard for them to land anywhere else.

Both drivers were expected to return to the team in 2012, and the team was scheduled to receive the first of its new 2012 cars December 15th. After struggling to find enough sponsorship in the offseason to remain competitive, they made the difficult decision to shut it down.

Hinchcliffe’s Twitter account had the following tweet once the news broke: “Thank you all for the support. I’ll put my thoughts into words tomorrow. For now, the phone goes off. Going to update my Xmas wish list.”

While it is sad to see one of the most tenured teams of the sport have to shut down, there is no doubt that both of these drivers will find a ride for next season.

Servia’s fourth place finish in the championship shows what he can do behind the wheel if given the opportunity. He also led 18 laps in this year’s Indy 500, in route to a sixth place finish after qualifying on the front row.

Despite missing the season-opening race last season, Hinchcliffe went on to finish 12th in the final standings. He finished in front of talented drivers such as Takuma Sato, JR Hildebrand, Alex Tagliani, Vitor Meira, Mike Conway, and EJ Viso just to name a few.

The INDYCAR community lost one of its best teams today, but fortunately for the fans the drivers and crew members should be able to find jobs for the upcoming season.

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