Race Previews

Setting the scene for this weekend’s IZOD IndyCar Series event.

Las Vegas Closes Season With A Bang

Posted by Chad Smith on October 14, 2011
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This weekend, the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season will wrap up in dramatic fashion in Las Vegas. There are so many storylines entering this final race of the season, with all of the changes coming after Sunday’s race.

Tony Kanaan won his first Pole of the season today, the 15th of his career. Oriol Servia will start beside him on the front row. He is the seventh different Pole winner this year. Five different teams are represented in the top 5, and eight in the top 10.

For the 12th time in the past 16 years, the Championship winner will be determined during the final race of the season. Once again it will come down to Dario Franchitti for Chip Ganassi, and Will Power for Roger Penske. Franchitti holds an 18 point lead heading into Las Vegas.

Dario is looking to win his third Championship in a row this weekend. Power will be looking to finally win his first, and the first for Penske since Sam Hornish won it in 2006. Both of these drivers have won their fair share of Pole Awards this year, yet they will both be starting from row nine on Sunday.

Another battle that will play out on Sunday is the Rookie of the Year award between James Hinchcliffe and JR Hildebrand. He currently sits just six points ahead of Hinchcliffe, although James missed the first race of the season.

Dan Wheldon will of course be trying to win the $5 million challenge in Las Vegas. Although he won the Indianapolis 500 in dramatic fashion this year, this might be even tougher. He will be driving Alex Tagliani’s number 77 machine, and will have to start from the end of the field, back in 34th position.

This will be the final race for Danica Patrick in the IZOD IndyCar Series, where she really made a name for herself. It is well documented that she only has one win, which she won on fuel strategy. Even though she may come back to try her hand at Indianapolis, this could be the last time we ever see her in an open-wheel car.

Not only will this be the final race for Danica, but it will also be the final race for the current IndyCar machines. When they take the green flag on Sunday, it will be the last time they ever see the track. The new concept car will be thrust into the sport beginning next year.

Helio Castroneves will be trying to keep an eleven-year streak alive on Sunday. He has won at least one race every year since 2000. This is his final shot at getting a win to extend it into next season.

We have had one of the most memorable finishes in Indy 500 history, heated rivalries, many new faces in victory lane, and many other surprises along the way. This season has been very special, and it will all conclude this Sunday. One driver will leave with bitter disappointment, while the other hoists the Championship trophy.

Despite Danica’s Announcement, Power Remains the Focus at Sonoma

Posted by Chad Smith on August 25, 2011
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The IZOD IndyCar Series is back in the spotlight this weekend as they head to California for the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. Danica Patrick finally announced the worst kept secret in racing today, revealing her plans to head to NASCAR after this season. Still, Will Power will without a doubt be the focus of this weekend’s events.

There are many reasons why Power will be the center of attention this weekend. There was the “gesture” that he gave IndyCar officials two weeks ago at New Hampshire, which resulted in a $30,000 fine. On a more positive note, he is the defending winner of this race, having won from the pole last year.

This is also the place where he saw his life flash before his eyes in 2009 when he collided with Nelson Philippe, who had come to a stop in a blind corner of the track after spinning out. The result for Power was a concussion, fractures of the L2 and L4 vertebrae, and some chipped teeth.

As if that weren’t enough, he is trying to chase down rival Dario Franchitti in the Championship standings, with just a few races to go.

The most important of these is obviously the chase for the Championship, so he will need to stay focused all weekend on running up front, and getting the Peak Pole Award. The main objective will be to finish in front of Dario, so strategy may come in to play near the end of the race.

Minimal points are given to the pole winner, so that will be another interesting battle between the two rivals on Saturday. Besides that, the last three winners of this race all started from the pole position.

It will be difficult for him to not think about what happened here in 2009. Everyone is going to be asking him about it, even though it was two years ago. Team Penske will have to turn their focus to the number 12 car for the rest of the season, which shouldn’t be too much to ask given the up-and-down seasons that Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves have had.

The frustration that Power displayed at the end of the New Hampshire race two weeks ago came as a surprise to most people. Normally he doesn’t let things get to him as much as that situation did. He is laid back and likes to laugh things off, but he was clearly upset with how things turned out there, even though the officials made the right call after the fact.

Some people are beginning to think that the pressure is getting to him. Most people though, believe he will have a strong weekend, and close the gap even more between him and Dario.

While those two will likely battle it out for the title once again, there is a snake in the weeds just watching all of the action. He is waiting for his time to strike, and it may be coming this weekend. Scott Dixon has had a feast or famine type of season, but he is still in it. This weekend at Sonoma, he could finally strike, making it a great three-way battle for the Championship.

Four Tires and Fuel – Loudon NH

Posted by Chad Smith on August 14, 2011
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The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to New Hampshire this weekend for the MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225. This will be the first time they have been back here since 1998. Dario Franchitti and Oriol Servia will be on the front row. The green flag has been pushed forward to 3:35, as they will try to get the race in before the rain hits.

1. This weekend’s race will be the first open-wheel event at Loudon in nearly a decade and a half. How conservative, if at all, do you expect drivers to be this weekend?

2. Tomas Scheckter will be in the No. 22 car for Justin Wilson this weekend as his vertebrae fracture will likely keep him off the track for the rest of the season. How do you expect Scheckter to perform, and do you expect him back past this weekend?

3. Pippa Mann will make her Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing debut this weekend. RLLR has always been a top performing team, but given their limited schedule this season and Mann’s relative inexperience in the big cars, what do you expect out of the team?

4. Same old, same old. Who you got?

 

Chad Smith

‎1. Not that conservative, the track is sort of similar to Milwaukee, and they have been doing some testing here. I think they might be on their toes early in the race, but within 20 laps it will seem like they have been racing there forever.

2. I think he will do okay, just because I don’t think the other drivers will have a big competitive edge. He will have a good car and a good team, I will expect him to finish in the 10th -14th range, which would be good for him.

3. Not much really. I think she will just be out there trying to run a clean race. I will be surprised if she finishes in the top 15, but the experience will be great for her.

4. 3rd – Dixon, 2nd – Kanaan, Winner – Franchitti

 

Catie Rinderknecht

‎1. I doubt they’ll race conservatively. They’ve had a lot of practice time, so I imagine it’ll take a few laps for them to get the feel of a race setting, but then they’ll be good to go.

2. Scheckter’s should finish midpack, although his performance will be on his own shoulders- meaning that he has the power to ruin a good day with an overly aggressive drive. If he can race intelligently for the entire race, he could even sneak into the top-10.

3. I don’t really expect much. As much as I’d like to say that it will help her to be at a track that is new to everyone, I can’t say that given her lack of experience in the car. Finishing the race and running cleanly so she can gain valuable experience should be the expectation for this race.

4. 3rd-Hinchcliffe, 2nd- Rahal, Winner- Kanaan

 

Chris Leone

‎1. Well, if they’re going to catch up to Dario Franchitti, they can’t be conservative at all. But what I wonder is how hard they can push before the cars start losing it. We’ve already seen a few drivers lose it this weekend, we know that the cars are already turning their entire way around the track, and you have to wonder just where the limits are.

2. Scheckter shouldn’t be too bad, but any driver who struggles to find a full-season ride isn’t going to be much more than a midpack driver, most likely. He can only hope that the good karma of carrying race sponsor MoveThatBlock.com on his sidepods helps him.

3. Well, I guess this question is moot… oops.

4. Franchitti, Rahal, Servia, with Hinch as a dark horse.

Will Power Claims Fifth Pole of the Season at Toronto

Posted by Chad Smith on July 9, 2011
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The IZOD IndyCar Series hit the streets of Toronto today to qualify for Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto race.

Will Power did exactly what everyone thought he would; winning the Pole Award for the event in Toronto. He won the race here last year, and is the obvious favorite heading into the weekend. This is the fifth pole for Power this season.

The Firestone Fast Six consisted of Oriol Servia, Graham Rahal, Mike Conway, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, and Will Power.

Power has swept the pole in the five road/street course races this season, and extended his streak to eight over two seasons. Dixon was the closest threat to him, and he will start on the outside of row one. Row two will consist of Franchitti and Conway, while the third row belongs to Rahal and Servia.

Sebastien Bourdais, the 2004 Toronto race winner and a three-time pole sitter, will share row four with Ryan Hunter-Reay. Alex Tagliani and Ryan Briscoe round out the top ten starters.

KV Racing seemed to struggle on the streets, with Tony Kanaan starting in 16th position; best of the three green cars. EJ Viso will start in 18th, and Takuma Sato will roll off 19th.

Toronto native James Hinchcliffe missed on advancing to the second round of qualifying by 0.0250 of a second, and will start in 13th position.

Sunday’s 85 lap race on the 1.755 mile, 11 turn circuit is set to begin at 2pm.