fast in-laps

2003-08-08T10:57:00.000-04:00

Big changes on the way in open-wheel racing.

With announcements from the IRL on racing at Milwaukee and a second NASCAR race at Fontana, it would seem that CART will soon be out of the oval racing business. The skinny (according to AutoWeek magazine) is that the future of CART at Lausitz, Germany and Rockingham, England is not very good. CART took a bath financially at those two venues, and cash flow for next year will be a lot tighter than this year.

Meanwhile, across town in Indy, Tony George will probably make announcements about 1 or 2 US road courses. Basically the IRL will morph into "NASCAR w/o fenders" as Dave Despain puts it.

By the way, if you haven't watched it yet, I'd highly recommend watching "Wind Tunnel" on the Speed channel. It's a great way to keep current on all the major series of 4-wheel and 2-wheel racing.

2003-08-08T10:42:00.000-04:00

This week in racing:

Sunday, August 10

Lexington, OH - CART: Mid-Ohio Grand Prix. Mid-Ohio road course. Defending champion: Patrick Carpentier. Also: Toyota Atlantics, Barber Dodge Pro Series, Formula Ford 2000, Speed World Touring.

Madison, IL - IRL: Emerson Indy 250. Gateway International Raceway oval track. Defending champion: Gil de Ferran. Also: Infiniti Pro Series.

Watkins Glen, NY - NASCAR: Sirius at the Glen. Watkins Glen International road course. Defending champion: Tony Stewart

Also: Craftsman Trucks in Nashville.

2003-08-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy League Update:

The oval trackers are taking it to Gateway, MO this weekend. Make sure you have your lineups in by Saturday! Good luck.

2003-07-25T11:17:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy League Update:

This weekend's race is at the Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. That means driver lineups are due by tomorrow (Saturday). For the first time in over 5 years, I will not be able to attend this race. My niece is being baptized on Sunday, so we all know which is more important. As a consolation, it looks as though I'll be going to the August NASCAR race. So things aren't so bad.

2003-07-25T11:13:00.000-04:00

This week in racing:

Sunday, Aug. 27

Vancouver, BC - CART: Molson Indy. Concord Pacific Place Street Circuit temporary road course. 2002 champion: Dario Franchitti

Brooklyn, MI - IRL: Michigan Indy 400. Michigan International Speedway superspeedway. Defending champion: Tomas Scheckter

Long Pond, PA - NASCAR: Pennsylvania 500. Pocono International Raceway tri-oval. Defending champion: Bill Elliot

2003-07-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy League Update:

I know it's been a whole week since the race ran and results were posted, but the podium for last week's race in Kansas looked like this:

1. Lambros Entry
2. Mean Machine
3. Whizzing Wheels

Lambros Entry posted its first victory, last week, largely due to strong finishes from the entire team, including a 2nd place finish from Helio Castroneves. Mean Machine suffered a setback due to some early retirements and troubles from some of the more promising drivers. Kanaan and Dixon finished 4th and 6th, but the other 3 drivers failed to crack the top 15. Whizzing Wheels posted good results with drivers averaging a finish just over 9th place.

With a strong run of results over the last couple of weeks the overall season standings are changing. The current season podium looks like this:
1. Mean Machine
2. Lambros Entry
3. Whizzing Wheels

The season is now in the heart of summer, and just past the halfway point, so look for the points battle to really heat up. Good luck.

Note: This week's race is on Saturday. If you haven't already done so, go to the Fantasy site to make lineup changes, now. Today is the deadline for this week!!

2003-07-18T10:58:00.000-04:00

This week in racing:

Saturday, July 19

Gladeville, TN - IRL: Firestone Indy 200. Nashville Superspeedway tri-oval. Defending champion: Alex Barron

Sunday, July 20

Silverstone, England - F1: British Grand Prix. Silverstone Circuit road course. Defending champion: Michael Schumacher

Loudon, NH - NASCAR: New England 300. New Hampshire International Speedway oval. Defending champion: Ward Burton

Also, Busch Series in NH; Craftsman Trucks at Gateway, MO; NHRA in Denver.

2003-07-18T10:50:00.000-04:00

I'm Baaack!! I've been enjoying a couple of weeks off and this is my first week back to the routine. So, I'll get right back to updating the status of the IRL Fantasy League and previewing the events that are unfolding in Open Wheel racing.

2003-06-25T15:31:00.000-04:00

Three Stars - Week 3

1. Toyota: Not many people paid attention to the kiwi driver, Scott Dixon leading up to the Homestead race. But Dixon won a race with an all-Toyota podium The Hondas did well enough, especially the Andretti/Green cars. The Chevy contingent was trying REAL hard, but those cars are way down on power this year. The Penske Toyota drivers shared the podium and Scott Sharp drove his Delphi Toyota really hard.

2. Ryan Newman: Yes, Rousch racer Matt Kenseth won the race, but the hard driver of the day in Las Vegas was definitely Ryan Newman. The Penske Dodge boy battled back from 2 laps down to finish 10th.

3. Gil de Ferran: IRL/CART Penske veteran driver de Ferran had a great race strategy that was only spoiled by Dixon's awesome drive. After a late pit stop that brought de Ferran and teammate Helio Castroneves together, you could tell that they were poised to orchestrate a quick move out front for the balance of the race.

2003-06-20T15:18:00.000-04:00

CART to go private?

It's no secret that CART has had its struggles. The sanctioning body has been plowing through its reserve cash at a feverish clip. Stock prices are down near $3.00/share. News reports are flying around saying that CART is looking for a buyer to step up and take the company private. Among suitors are majority shareholder, Gerry Forsythe and Formula One mega-tycoon Bernie Ecclestone. There's a great article about this in this week's AutoWeek (in print, sorry no hyperlink.) and another great perspective from open-wheel guru, Robin Miller (with hyperlink).

2003-06-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

FYI: Dario Franchitti is due to undergo back surgery following his motorcycle injury earlier this year. As a result, his season driving in the IRL for Andretti Green is over. His ride will be taken over by a driver to be named later.

2003-06-20T15:09:00.000-04:00

Indy Racing League Fantasy Update:

The results came in for the Pikes Peak race. Team Muttley lapped the field. The podium looked like this:

1. Team Muttley
2. Lambros Entry
3. Whizzing Wheels

Team Muttley was helped by the majority of drivers making the top 10. Only Scott Sharp was outside the top 10. He finished 11th. Lambros posted a decent finish. He also had Scott Dixon, who won the race, and was mainly hindered by keeping retirees Andretti and Luyendyk on his team. Whizzing Wheels posted a good finish at third, based on a solid field of drivers. Her best driver, Kenny Brack finished 7th. Wardy's DNQ was responsible for the team's only zero.

Based on the results of the Colorado race, the season podium looks like this:
1. Team Muttley
2. Texas Two-Step
3. Whizzing Wheels

The results have tightened up the race for second place, while Team Muttley has increased his lead. But there are still plenty of races to be run, and it won't take much to bring the group up to contend for the lead. Keep posted on the latest driver developments as I find them and make comments.

The next race is in another week: Saturday, June 28th at Richmond's small oval. Make sure you pick your drivers by Friday, June 27th. Good luck!

2003-06-20T14:55:00.000-04:00

This week in racing:

Sunday, June 22, 2003.

Portland, OR - CART: GI Joe's 200. Portland International Raceway road course. 2002 Champion: Cristiano da Matta.

Sonoma, CA - NASCAR: Dodge Savemart 350. Infineon Raceway road course. Defending Champion: Ricky Rudd.

Also, Craftsman Trucks race in Memphis, TN.

2003-06-13T11:04:00.000-04:00

This Week in Racing: (Super-sized)

It seems everything with 4 wheels and an engine is racing this weekend. Check it out!

Saturday, June 14 - Sunday, June 15

Le Mans, France - ACO: 24 Heures du Mans, Circuit de la Sarthe road & street circuit. Defending champions: Team Audi (LMP)

Sunday, June 15

Monterey, CA - CART: Grand Prix of Monterey. Laguna Seca road course. 2002 champion: Cristiano da Matta

Montreal, Quebec - F1: Canadian Grand Prix. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course. Defending champion: Michael Schumacher

Fountain, CO - IRL: Honda Indy 225. Pikes Peak International Raceway oval track. Defending champion: Gil de Ferran

Brooklyn, MI - NASCAR: Sirius Sattellite Radio 400. Michigan International Speedway superspeedway oval. Defending champion: Matt Kenseth

Also, this weekend: Busch Series in Sparta, KY on Saturday. NHRA in Columbus, OH. Didn't I say everyone was racing this weekend?

2003-06-12T10:40:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy League Update

The results came in for the Texas race and the podium looks like this:

1. Team Muttley
2. Epp Entry
3. Lambros Entry

With a race as exciting as the Texas race usually is, the results for the fantasy league were a little less exciting. Team Muttley just about lapped the field scoring 134 points. Second place Epp Entry scored only 72 points. Muttley's performance was bolstered by the podium finishes of Tony Kanaan and Tora Takagi. Jeff's team came in second on the backs of race winner Al Unser, Jr. and 10th place finisher, Sam Hornish. (Hint: Robby Gordon, Jimmy Vasser, and Scott Mayer are back at their regular jobs at NASCAR, CART, and Pep Boys? respectively.) Lambros Entry can attribute its third place to 3 solid finishers: Dixon, Helio, and Fisher. (Hint #2: Andretti and Luyendyk were out registering with AARP.)

So, after 5 races the season podium looks like this:
1. Team Muttley
2. Texas Two-Step
3. Whizzing Wheels

Fortunately, the point totals were low enough to keep the podium the same as the previous race. Though the gap has widened at the top and tightened up elsewhere throughout the field.

IMPORTANT: There is an IRL this weekend. If you need to change up your driver lineup, make sure to have it in by Saturday to count towards this week's race.

Good luck!

2003-06-06T16:33:00.000-04:00

This week in racing:

Saturday, June 7

Fort Worth, TX - IRL: Bombardier 500. Texas Motor Speedway oval track. 2002 Champion: Jeff Ward. Also (Friday) Craftsman Truck Series

Busch Series in Tennessee

Sunday, June 8

Long Pond, PA - NASCAR: Pocono 500. Pocono International Raceway tri-oval. Defending Champion: Dale Jarrett.

2003-06-04T10:59:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy League Update:

Just a reminder. The Texas IRL race is this weekend. If you plan to make changes to your lineup, make them before Friday or they won't count towards this race.

Thanks and good luck!

2003-06-03T13:45:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't posted much lately, and I've really fallen down on the job as far as "3 Stars" etc. I anticipate I won't be getting much better as the summer progresses. Work is getting busier (which is good). And when the weather gets nice on the weekends (like Sunday), I don't even stay in the house long enough to watch a race on TV. (Which is also good.) So please accept my apologies when you log in and there aren't any new posts.

OK, now for the racing I did see this weekend: The Centennial 250 Champ Car race at the Milwaukee Mile was excellent. Though the race was marred a little at the start by a 3-car crash and one car dominated the race, the excitement came in which car it was that was dominating. Bobby Rahal's driver, Michel Jourdain was good on the high line and good down low. There were lots of spectatular overtaking moves throughout the field as the new-old aero package let the drivers drive a bit harder around the track.

The Player's team was a lot of fun to watch too, as Patrick Carpentier could make his car get around others in places it seemed no one could/should make their move. And of course, there was Paul Tracy's gaffe in the pits as his left rear tire was not properly fastened and came loose on track.

After the final caution, it was a ten lap dash to the finish with Jourdain pulling away from Oriol Servia, who was being dogged by Carpentier. It was awesome, and gave me a chance to shout, "Vamanos, Michel!!" at the TV screen.

A great race. And it seems I enjoyed it even more than Robin Miller, who says it was "pretty decent."

2003-05-30T14:57:00.000-04:00

Wait, hold the phone! Gualther Salles is back in Champ Car racing! Seems he has taken over for Malaysian ex-F1 pilot Alex Yoong. Salles will be piloting the Dale Coyne car at this weekend's Milwaukee race. Welcome back, Gualther!!

2003-05-30T14:50:00.000-04:00

Sad news in the world of motorcycle racing. David Jeffries was killed while practicing for the Isle of Man TT. Reports are that he may have ran over some fluid in one of the 160 mph corners of the 37.7 mile public road circuit. Our hearts and our prayers are for God to show His comfort and love to the friends, family members and associates of David Jeffries.

2003-05-30T14:34:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy League Update:

The Indy 500 was pretty exciting. Or so I was told. The campground had zero television reception, save for a couple PBS and UHF stations. But I've pieced together from reading Robin Miller's recap, reading the lineup/results PDF from the IRL site, and watching "Robby Gordon's Double Duty" on SPEED. (Great show, by the way.)

As far as the IRL Fantasy League went, there was a new winner, Eppy's Roadies!

The podium for the Indianapolis 500 looked like this:
1. Eppy's Roadies
2. Lambros Entry
3. Mean Machine

Eppy's Roadies were successful by backing 2 of the top 4 drivers: Helio Castroneves and Tomas Scheckter. Always a smart move to back a Penske driver (and defending champion). Tomas Scheckter was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off big. Lambros fell only slightly by only backing one fast driver. Again, it was the 2nd place driver, Castro Neves (oops, there I go using his CART name.) Mean Machine was assisted to the 3rd podium spot by backing top Honda driver, Tony Kanaan, who coincidentally finished 3rd in the race. That's all the difference, since a good many of the other drivers we all picked ended up as DNF's. And they were some pretty promising drivers: Andretti, Gordon, Vasser, Fisher.

And now, the season tally shows the top 3:
1. Mean Machine
2. Texas Two-Step
3. Whizzing Wheels

The order at the top remains unchanged, largely because of the low number of points scored by all teams this round.

Next up is the IRL event at the Texas Motor Speedway in one week. Lineups are due Friday, June 6.

2003-05-30T14:14:00.000-04:00

This Week in Racing:

Saturday, May 31

West Allis, WI - CART: Centenniel 250. The Milwaukee Mile oval. Defending champion: Paul Tracy. Also Barber Dodge

Sunday, June 1

Dover, DE - NASCAR: MBNA Armed Forces Family 400. Dover Downs International Speedway oval. Defending champion: Jimmie Johnson. Also Busch Series.

Monte Carlo - F1: Monaco Grand Prix. Monte Carlo street circuit. Defending champion: David Coulthard.

2003-05-23T13:41:00.000-04:00

This Week in Racing:

Sunday, May 25, 2003

Speedway, IN - IRL: Indianapolis 500. Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5 mile oval. 2002 Champion: Paul Tracy...[OK, I'll stop.] Defending Champion: Helio Castroneves

Concord, NC - NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600. Lowes Motor Speedway 1.5 mile oval. Defending champion: Mark Martin.

Also racing this weekend if you can't get enough: Busch series Saturday & NHRA in Topeka, KS. But spend some time outdoors this weekend, too. (Again, weather permitting.)

2003-05-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

Indy 500 Handicapper:

Sunday is the big day, weather permitting. The coverage of the Indy 500 is set to start on ABC at 11:00 am. I think this means the race is slated to start at noon, but you'd better check you TV Guide. As it is, I'm going camping this weekend (again, weather permitting). This means I'll be catching the race on a tiny 3.5" screen Watchman!! Hey, at least it's in color.

Anyway, this year's grid has quite a few drivers that could potentially win this thing. Let's take a look at who's racing and who has a good chance to guzzle milk in the winner's circle.

Row 1: Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Robby Gordon - Any of these 3 could win. Helio has had a great month qualifying on the pole, giving great interviews, etc., but history says no one has won 3 in a row. Kanaan has one fast Honda and nearly won last year. Robby will run 500 miles, then hop into a chopper and go race an additional 600 miles down south. Possibly, he'll have time to grab a sip of milk in between.

Row 2: Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, Kenny Brack - 2 rookies and a former Indy 500 winner. Actually, Scott Dixon is about as "rookie" as Nigel Mansell was in his first year of CART racing. All 3 drivers have shown great speed and have excellent chances to be successful.

Row 3: Tora Takagi, Tony Renna, Scott Sharp - Takagi has impressed with his speed this month. Scott Sharp is having a great season, but in recent years has struggled at Indy. Sharp's teammate, Renna is one fast rookie, but I'm not sure he'll be up front at the end.

Row 4: Gil de Ferran, Roger Yasukawa, Tomas Scheckter - Penske veteran driver de Ferran has the best shot of anyone in this row. Scheckter has the speed and may lead some laps in this race, but he has to prove he can keep it together for the full 200 laps.

Row 5: Michael Andretti, Greg Ray, Shinji Nakano - Mikey is the fan favorite this year without a doubt. He has led the most laps here, he has won CART championships and the most race wins of anyone out there. Will his final drive here be the one? Personally, I have my doubts. Greg Ray, like Scott Sharp, has seen his share of troubles here at Indy, but he could be a surprise contender.

Row 6: Fillipe Giaffone, Al Unser, Jr., Sam Hornish Jr. - Respectively: Has a chance, had his chance and won already, and has no chance at all. Well, if attrition plays a role, Hornish could finish on the podium,... maybe.

Row 7: Buddy Rice, Jacques Lazier, Buddy Lazier - First the two Buddy's: Rice is too young, Lazier too old. Now the other Lazier: Like Scheckter has seen flashes of brilliance but too many DNF's in his career.

Row 8: Robby Buhl, AJ Foyt IV, Sarah Fisher - Attention, rows 9 to 11: steer to the inside on the start to avoid any of these cars if they get together!! How they've managed to start the race with Foyt in the middle of the row, I don't know. If they can survive dicing at the beginning of the race, I'd say Fisher has the chance to do the best of these 3. All of these drivers should just focus on turning 200 laps as their main goal.

Row 9: Alex Barron, Vitor Meira, Jimmy Vasser - A very good trio of drivers here. Barron impressed many people with great super speedway performances last year. Jimmy Vasser is extremely good at the big ovals, and Meira coaxed the most speed out of his Chevy this month. They just need to survive any madness that may happen at the start.

Row 10: Richie Hearn, Billy Boat, Shigeaki Hattori - I'm glad to see Hearn and Boat in this race. I'll be happy if they finish on the lead lap.

Row 11: Robby McGehee, Jimmy Kite, Airton Dare - Ah, yes. The backmarkers. There was (is) a rumor floating around that McGehee will take the green flag, run around a bit and dive into the pits and park it. I hope that's just a rumor, though he didn't even have a pit crew on Carb Day. I'd say Dare has the best shot of these 3 to post a good result, but his speed was down so much on qualifying, I don't know if the got enough done over the past few days to improve his car.

We shall see. It will be an interesting race, that's for sure.

2003-05-23T12:41:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy League

Attention Fantasy League players. You have till the end of the day Saturday to make sure your lineups are in. Good luck!

2003-05-20T15:39:00.000-04:00

Dr. Jack... er, I mean Robin Miller has a good column highlighting the drivers that have the best chances for a 2003 Indy 500 victory. Go check it out!

2003-05-20T15:31:00.000-04:00

Here is the complete grid for the Indy 500.

I'll probably post my thoughts on each driver's chances on Friday. (Attention: IRL Fantasy League players, please have your drivers picked out by Saturday.)

2003-05-20T15:28:00.000-04:00

Bump Day Reflections:

Well, I stuck it out to watch another Bump Day. Albeit a day where there really weren't any bumps. One could sit and reflect on the great excitement of a few years back, when Billy Boat had to fight to keep a slow car on the starting grid over the onslaught of cars and drivers that sought to make the field. Somehow, it wasn't as exciting this year, sitting there and thinking, "OK, they got 30 cars,... now 31 cars,... 32, etc." Vitor Meira's run was very good, and that lent a little excitement to the proceedings. Then Mr. Jenkins, the announcer doused any flames of excitement as only Mr. Jenkins can do. He states something to the effect of "with only 90 minutes left in the day, it looks doubtful that anyone will pull their car out of line or that anyone else will attempt to make the field." I'm sure the advertisers and marketing execs loved to hear that one, as thousands of viewers (myself included) turned their focus from the TV back to doing the chores they neglected for most of the afternoon.

The big question I had was: "Where were they?" We were treated to a sad interview with Jeff Ward as he stood around in the paddock in his street clothes, looking for a benefactor. But there were quite a few other drivers notable for their absence in this year's field: Memo Gidley and George Mack in particular have a loyal fan following, and it would have been worth it for Mr. George to pony up a little cash to slide them into a couple of Chevy Dallaras and pump a little more excitement into Bump Day. It's not unprecedented (Little Al). I think they dropped the ball there.

Heck, with the field as depleted as it was for bump day, you could have almost called up a few also-rans to stick them in a seat at rock-bottom prices: "Paging John Herb, Dennis Vitolo, and Tarso Marques, blue courtesy phone. You are wanted in Gasoline Alley..."

Just a thought.

2003-05-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

Three Stars

1. Vitor Meira - Vitor who? The rookie gets a star, because were it not for his four laps of clean (and darn good) qualifying, there would not be a full 33 car field. There have been full fields in every race since the end of WWII, so to have a reduced field would be a huge black eye to the IRL. As it stands, Meira should earn the star for being the fastest Chevrolet in the field.

2. Roger Penske - Roger also helped fill out the field when he leased one of his spare cars, along with some technicians and engineers to Sam Schmidt's shoestring team. Richie Hearn put in a solid qualifying effort to earn a spot on the grid in the leased Toyota G-Force.

3. Michael Schumacher - And you thought they called Mika Hakkinen the Ice Man. Schuey's car has a fire in the pits, yet he still goes on to battle with teammate Rubens Barrichelo and rival Kimi Raiknonen to win the Austrian GP.

2003-05-12T13:34:00.000-04:00

Here is an interview with Zanardi from Crash.net. Great stuff!

2003-05-12T13:30:00.000-04:00

David Phillips has a great write up of the Alex Zanardi event at Lausitzring. When I have more time, I'm going to add my comments on this.

2003-05-12T13:19:00.000-04:00

Three Stars

Ok, it's been a few weeks since I have designated anyone with one of the 3 stars. Quite frankly, most weeks there was only one race on, and I missed it for one reason or another. Instead of just noting the three stars by their qualifying position or podium finish, I just declined to make anyone the stars.

Now, that being said, this week I could have expanded to way more than three stars. So I'll do the next best thing and cheat.

1. Alex Zanardi - Without a doubt the most spectacular performance of the week was Zanardi's. At the Lausitzring track where he suffered a horrific crash in 2001, he took the wheel of a specially prepared Champ car. The plan was that he would take the final 13 laps of unfinished business at the track where he lost both his legs. He took the first couple of laps using the hand controls to gingerly pace around the track. Then he started to get the feel of the car. Then he started to get the feel of the track. On his final few laps he was setting a blistering pace. In fact, Dave Despain would later comment on Speed News that Alex's fastest lap yesterday would have resulted in him qualifying 4th on the grid of the CART race that followed the special event.

2. Sebastien Bourdais, Mario Dominguez, and Michel Jourdain - Almost to prove that the IRL has not cornered the market on close oval finishes, these 3 pilots put on a spectacular showing at the German 500. The final ten laps had Bourdais and Dominguez slicing back and forth and side-by-side. I really thought Dominguez was trying to "sell" the outside pass in order to take Bourdais on the inside with 1 or 2 to go. But the Frenchman wouldn't take the bait and slid back and forth to keep the Mexican behind him. Jourdain stayed #3 through the whole thing, but he was always just off the gearbox of the two drivers as they diced back & forth.

3. Helio Castroneves - On a gusty Indianapolis Mother's Day, Helio was able to negotiate 4 laps at an average of just over 231 mph to post the pole position for this year's Indy 500. The intense wind gusts were difficult for many to deal with as it blew Scott Sharp into the barrier, and A. J. Foyt IV into an amazing pirouette. Nearly all drivers related that they had to deal with strange cross-winds at times. Team Andretti Green did very well also, with 3 of the top 5 times. The lone exception was Michael Andretti, who was only able to scrape together the 13th best time.

2003-05-09T11:36:00.000-04:00

Robin Miller on Tora Takagi:

Going into Saturday's opening round of qualifying, Takagi is very much a player in the race for the pole. He's been among the fastest drivers all week and was one of only two to top 232 mph.

I think he could be on to something, here. Go get 'em "Tiger".

2003-05-09T11:09:00.000-04:00

"Fastest lap at Indy since 1996"

Don't look now, but Indy rookie, Dan Wheldon drove his Andretti Green car in practice at 232.202 mph! This is the fastest lap at Indy since '96. You remember '96, the year everyone in the field was driving CART chassis and turbos from 1995? I knew you did...

2003-05-09T11:00:00.000-04:00

Indy Qualifying Notebook:

Well, it's one day until Pole Position is determined for this year's Indy 500. And everyone's wondering who has the best chances at making the front row of this year's event?

Good question. If you have any thoughts on the matter, give me an e-mail shoutout. I'd love to hear from you.

Here are my opinions on the matter:

First, take any ideas that Sam Hornish, Sarah Fisher, or anyone else with a Chevy bowtie on the engine cover will be on the front row, and forget about it. Toyota and Honda have leapfrogged over the Chevy teams by about 40 hp. All Chevrolet teams are looking for reliability runs and avoiding the SAFER barriers to give them success on Memorial Day.

Chances are quite good that for another year the driver on the pole position will be one who made a name for himself running the CART circuit. Helio Castroneves (who started in CART as Helio Castro Neves) and his teammate Gil de Ferran have the Toyota powerplants and have been sorting out which chassis (Dallara or G-Force) will give them the faster times. In my humble but biased opinion, they are the favorites for the pole.

But there's also that Honda team of drivers, Andretti Green racers. Tony Kanaan's recovering from his wrist injury and looking good. Michael Andretti could pull it off (maybe). And who knows? Robby Gordon knows his way around the squared super-oval better than anybody and could surprise as the fastest. Having his Winston Cup vacation the same week as Pole Day could be a real stroke of luck for him this year.

It's probably not out of the realm of possibility that a rookie or 2nd year guy or even a former Indy winner takes the pole as well. Look for Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, and Kenny Brack to set a blistering pace on Saturday.

Of the IRL regulars, Scott Sharp has the best chance to take the pole. The Laziers, Jimmy Kite, and arguably even Tomas Schekter will all have decision to make after Saturday. Do they scrap their time and try again on Sunday? Do they put in another week's testing and prep for Bump Day? Are Billy Boat, George Mack, or Memo Gidley going to get a call to grab a helmet and go?

We shall start to see this weekend. Stay tuned...

2003-05-09T10:33:00.000-04:00

This week in racing

Saturday, May 10

Indianapolis, IN - IRL: Indianapolis 500 Qualifying. Pole day. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 2002 Pole winner: Bruno Junquiera.

(CBS Broadcast, Taped from last Monday race.) London Champ Car Trophy, Brands Hatch road course. Inaugural event

Sunday, May 11

Lausitz, Germany - CART: German 500. Eurospeedway (Lausitzring). 2001Champion (no race 2002): Kenny Brack.

No NASCAR event: Mother's Day, you know. You don't know? Well, get shopping!!
(Actually, there is a Busch event at Gateway International Speedway, this Saturday, if you're going through stock car withdrawals.)

2003-05-07T13:05:00.000-04:00

The Dangers of Dealing with the Boss Dept.

I don't post much on NASCAR, but I do find this a bit interesting. After Kevin Harvick nudges teammate Jeff Green out of Saturday's race, Green storms from his spot in the paddock over to team owner Richard Childress and gives him a piece of his mind regarding the incident. Days later, Jeff Green has been released from his contract with Childress Racing. Hmm... Be careful when you blow your stack at the boss, I guess, huh?

More musical chairs, as Steve Park is let go at DEI. This is unfortunate. He was a promising driver up until his crash in practice at Darlington in 2001. His performance seemed to be picking up a little this year, although he only had one top 10 so far. Green will take over his seat for the remainder of the season. Hopefully, Park will land another ride soon.

2003-05-07T12:54:00.000-04:00

More seat-hopping at Indy:

Scott Meyer did not pass his rookie test at Indy, so IRL veteran Jimmy Kite will take the PDM seat. So that adds one more to the field.

But wait:

Hattori spun and wrecked during practice breaking a finger. It probably won't affect his making the field. So I guess he's in the field, too.

And:

Tony Kanaan turned some laps at nearly 230 mph and says he feels fine to qualify this weekend.

So how many racers will turn the 4 laps to qualify this Saturday and Sunday? How should I know. Let me get back to you on this. Probably on Monday or so...

2003-05-07T12:45:00.000-04:00

It looks like Warren, MI native Bryan Herta will fill in for Dario for the two races following the Indy 500. This is good, I guess, but it begs the question. Why not plop him in one of the T cars and put him in the grid for Indy? If Ganassi can enter four cars in Indy like he did a couple of years ago, why can't Michael start himself, Kanaan, Wheldon, and Herta? C'mon Mikey! Make it happen!!

Just trying to help make Bump Day a bump day this year...

2003-05-07T12:39:00.000-04:00

Indy Notes:

Robin Miller has some interesting observations regarding qualifying at Indy, which starts this weekend.

Hopefully, some money-bags sponsors will step up to put more drivers in cars for this year's Indianapolis 500. It'd be a shame if there were fewer than 33 cars in the field. What exactly would be the purpose of Bump Day this year? Maybe they can call it Cash In Hand Day. "And look, here comes Steve Jobs with a briefcase and a new Dallara Chevy for Billy Boat..."

It's pretty sad that open wheel racing in the U.S. has gotten to this point. Many drivers who could take the squared-oval at Indy by storm are off in Europe for most of May. Some of the big names will be back in time to qualify a car for the back of the grid (Vasser, Fernandez (maybe)). But the cost of a new chassis and motor for one race is too much for some teams to come up with. Tony George will no doubt be beaming about the "spectacle" of his race, but he shouldn't bring out the "We're beating CART" bottle of bubbly just yet. Not until he can comfortably count more than 34 drivers and cars in Gasoline Alley.

Thanks for your time.

2003-05-02T13:46:00.000-04:00

This week in racing

Saturday, May 3

Richmond, VA - NASCAR: Pontiac Excitement 400. Richmond International Raceway oval track. Defending champion: Tony Stewart.

Sunday, May 4

Kent, UK - CART: London Champ Car Trophy. Brands Hatch road course. Inaugural event.

Barcelona, Spain - F1: Spanish Grand Prix. Catalunya road course. Defending champion: Michael Schumacher.

2003-04-25T16:24:00.000-04:00

So, what's the deal with Zanardi at the German race?

Seventhgear.com had the scoop. Followed up by a quizzical article in AutoWeek (which I haven't yet read.) Both of which point to a quote that Alex has "a surprise" lined up for the race at the Lausitzring. Speculations range from being pace car driver to strapping on his helmet and racing in a champ car (or doing demo laps.)

Alex, you may remember, lost both legs in an accident leaving pit lane at the German track back in 2001. Stay tuned, and I'll weigh in when I hear more...

2003-04-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

Want another name for the entry list at Indy this year?

How about Jimmy Vasser? He will once again be driving in a Rahal car, once again in a Honda. Though he will be in Germany racing for CART during the opening day of Indy qualifying, a depleted field will give him a great opportunity to start midpack on Memorial Day. All he'll need is a trouble-free run around bump day. Go, Jeemee!!

2003-04-25T16:08:00.000-04:00

Robby Gordon will once again be participating in the Auto Biathalon 1100. He will assume the seat vacated by the recovering Dario Franchitti in the Indy 500. Then hopping a helicopter and participating in the Coca-Cola 600 in a stock car.

2003-04-25T16:04:00.000-04:00

Mario, not so much. Papis is a maybe.

The elder Andretti, at 63, has nothing to prove. After his brief stint nearly a decade since he hung up his Indy Car driving gloves, the only race that eluded him in his long career was the 24 Heures du Mans. The Indy 500 winner, F1 champion, Daytona 500 winner and CART champion has decided, following the scariest of test crashes at Indy, not to take a ride in the qualifying for the Indy 500. Max Papis was mentioned as a possible driver to take Kanaan's ride if Tony can't heal in time.

2003-04-25T15:53:00.000-04:00

This week in racing:

Fontana, CA - NASCAR: Auto Club 500. California Speedway. Defending Champion: Jimmie Johnson.

That's it for this week. Well, there is a Busch race at Fontana as well. And I never really count the NHRA, but they're doing something in Bristol, TN if you're into that sort of thing...

2003-04-24T13:37:00.000-04:00

He's everywhere, he's everywhere!

Road America is back on the 2003 CART schedule!! The race date is set for August 3rd, and the race is called The Mario Andretti Grand Prix at Road America. This is a fitting tribute to the man who probably worked the hardest to make sure this historic venue didn't disappear from the Champ car circuit. Way to go, Mario!

2003-04-24T13:26:00.000-04:00

Mario Update:

There is much more detail and a great article on the Mario test crash on the rpm.com site. Go check it out!

225+ mph!

"Wow! That was close... We're all right. We can laugh about it now!" - John Candy, Planes, Trains, & Automobiles.

2003-04-24T13:09:00.000-04:00

More Indy Racing:

On the way back from the cafeteria today, I saw a strange sight. CNN was breaking away to commercial and showing an Indy car cartwheeling up at the fence. Below, the graphic referenced a Mario. I asked some of the guys assembled by the TV who that was in the shot. "Mario Andretti! He's 63 years old," they said.

I raced back here to check what they were talking about. Apparently Mario was running the open testing of his son's 7-Eleven car and got caught up in Kenny Brack's debris. He emerged from the crash okay, which is incredible in itself. Mario Andretti, winner of the 1969 Indy 500, crashes at speed in 2003, AND he's looking forward to getting back in a Dallara and going again. Crash.net speculates that if Tony Kanaan is unable to make the qualifying, or the field, that we might see Mario pilot his son's Dallara into the field. Let's just say, I'm skeptical, thought it would be cool to see The Legend back suited up for one more round. (And sorry to say, I think A.J. is just a bit too large to fit in one of these chassis these days. This kind of talk must drive him nuts.)

2003-04-24T12:59:00.000-04:00

Indy Racing Updates:

Dario's motorcycle mishap is more serious than originally thought. He will be unable to race at Indy and most likely he'll miss the June IRL races as well.

Oh, Dario.
Laid your bike down on an old, Scottish road.
(Lord have mercy)
I say, ooooohhhh, Dario.

-My apologies to Van Morrison, there.

2003-04-24T12:49:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter weekend. My Easter was unparallelled. I'm now an uncle!! My sister gave birth on Easter Sunday morning to a 5 pound, 14 ounce little girl, Meghan Helena Epp. She is so cute and a real blessing to the family. She's a real cutie!!

2003-04-17T13:27:00.000-04:00

It's a light week racing wise. But that's good, because it's Easter. I hope you and your loved ones have a blessed Easter holiday!

Eric

2003-04-17T13:21:00.000-04:00

This week in racing:

Imola, Italy - F1: San Marino Grand Prix. Enzo and Dino Ferrari Autodrome road circuit. Defending champion: Michael Schumacher.


	Ferrari swept the top two spots in last year's Grand Prix of San Marino with its amazing F2002 car

-Photo courtesy of espn's RPM site

2003-04-15T13:01:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy Update:

Round 3 of the IRL was a wild crash-a-thon. In the end, it was the closest possible finish. And we have a new winner! The podium looks like this:

1. Texas Two-step
2. Mean Machine
3. Whizzing Wheels

First and second place were decided by a single point. Well, close finishes are a regular feature in the real IRL races, so this type of finish fits. Both Texas Two-step and Mean Machine backed a winner in Scott Sharp and Michael Andretti finished fourth. The difference in teams ended up being Al Unser, Jr. who finished 5th. Mean Machine's results were diluted a bit by the crashes that took out Sarah Fisher and Tony Kanaan. Whizzing Wheels had another steady day at the races: Kenny Brack had an outstanding 2nd place, while Robbie Buhl and Jacques Lazier had just an OK day, finishing midfield.

Looking at the season standings, the top 3 teams are:

1. Mean Machine
2. Texas Two-step
3. Whizzing Wheels

The next race is the big one: The Indianapolis 500, on Memorial Day weekend. Watch this space for all the happenings. Practice, qualifying and bump day make this race a month-long affair, and there will be many different driver announcements that will be made during the next month. I'll try to post my take as things start to happen throughout May.

2003-04-15T12:40:00.000-04:00

Three Stars – Week 9:

1. Michel Jourdain, Jr.: Saturday qualifying gave Michel his first career pole in his 8 years in CART. Then on Sunday he had a stellar run, leading the most laps. If not for an unfortunate gearbox failure after his final pit stop with six laps remaining, he would have had his first career win. Vamanos, Michel.
2. Boris Said: Like the St. Petersburg Trans-Am race, Said spent the race storming through the field. This time however, he came all the way through and scored a Long Beach win.
3. IRL safety crew: It takes quite a few crashes to stand out as a crash-filled IRL event. This week’s race was a crash-filled event. Kudos go to the safety crew, who traveled halfway round the world and put in a busy afternoon at Montegi. Some of the scariest crashes involved Sarah Fisher, Helio Castroneves, and Tony Kanaan. All drivers emerged safely. (OK, Helio was a bit banged up, but just bumps and bruises.)

Oh, and while I’m on the topic of IRL races, I’d like to make one comment: Could someone at ABC change the font style or size of the graphics? For the life of me, at one point I couldn’t tell if there were “58” laps left or “68” laps left. And I was watching it on a 35” TV! I know, I’m getting old, but I’m probably not alone on this

2003-04-12T12:21:00.000-04:00

Interview with The Legend

The folks at seventhgear.com had an excellent interview with Mario Andretti on the future of CART. One item to note in the interview: The door is still open somewhat for CART to return to Road America in Elkhart Lake this year. Let's hope they can make it happen.

2003-04-12T12:09:00.000-04:00

Marlo Klain has a great column of observations regarding the IRL on the rpm website. Go check it out!

2003-04-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

Sure Sign of Spring

Forget anything to do with groundhogs, robins, or even opening day pitches. Nothing says spring is here quite like the sight of Paul Tracy's champ car burning up the lanes at Long Beach. So far,so good for PT, who sits at provisional pole after a dicey Friday qualifying.

Looking further west, kiwi Scott Dixon will start from pole at the now IRL Montegi race. Not surprisingly, he is piloting a Toyota. It's almost a tradition that Toyota spoils the party at Honda's home track. (I'm kinda concerned about it, since my IRL Fantasy team features Tony Kanaan who may start second, but is driving a Honda.)

And what's up with the Chevrolet powerplant? Top qualifier (based on practice speeds due to a rainout) for Chevy is Sam Hornish who will start 13th!?! One spot in front of Sarah Fisher. Seems their best hope is attrition of the Japanese engines and a reliable run for the Chevrolets.

2003-04-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

Brazil GP Update:

Giancarlo Fisichella has been ruled the victor of this year's bizzaro Brazilian Grand Prix (See post below for details). Apparently, the discrepancy was that Fisi had made it to the 56th lap of the race by the time the red flag was waved. As he took the lead a full two laps prior to him crossing the stripe, FIA reversed its initial ruling and declared the Jordan driver the winner. Congratulations (again) Eddie and team!!

2003-04-11T16:00:00.000-04:00

This week in racing:

April 13, 2003

Long Beach, CA - CART: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Long Beach temporary road circuit. 2002 champion: Michael Andretti. Celebrity race, Toyota Atlantic, SCCA Trans-Am also.

Montegi, Japan - IRL: Indy Japan 300. Twin Ring Montegi oval track. Defending champion: (CART) Kenny Brack. Inaugural IRL event.

Martinsville, VA - NASCAR: Virginia 500. Martinsville Speedway. Defending champion: Bobby Labonte.

2003-04-11T15:51:00.000-04:00

IRL Fantasy Update:

Race 3 of the IRL Schedule is upon us. The race from Twin Ring Montegi Japan will be shown on Sunday. Hint: If you want to make changes to your team you have until Saturday to make your changes. Double hint: You can read some of the previous posts on this site to make sure your drivers are going to be in the field this weekend. (Three notable drivers will not be in this race. And one or two new, old names will be in the race this weekend.)

Good luck. And again, I'll recap everyone's performance after the results are posted.

2003-04-09T13:30:00.000-04:00

Dario Franchitti will miss the Montegi Japan IRL race, due to back injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident in his native Scotland. He is said to be recuperating at home in preparation for the May 4 practice for the Indianapolis 500. Dan Wheldon will take his place in Japan.

2003-04-09T13:26:00.000-04:00

Update on Alonso:

Alonso was released from the hospital on Monday. He luckily only suffered bruises on his left elbow, thigh and knee. It looked a whole lot worse, as his car ran over some large debris (a tire and suspension pieces) left in the center of the track following Mark Webber's massive crash. Doctors say Alonso will be able to race the next race at Imola on April 20th.

2003-04-09T13:19:00.000-04:00

Heartbreak at Sao Paulo

What a wild weekend for racing. Forget the NASCAR, restrictor plate, 28 car pileup. When the green flag waved for the start of the Brazilian GP, you knew it was going to be a wild ride. Firstly, because the safety car was pacing the field, instead of the customary standing start. Then after several yellow laps the racing started in earnest. And one thing became clear: there was a lot of water in the tight left turn 3. In fact it was more like a river, reminiscent of Road America during the 2001 CART race. That corner would claim at least 5 or 6 cars by the end of the day.

Another heartbreak was when Rubens Barrichelo stormed past David Coulthard to take the lead. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Rubens won his home Grand Prix, everyone thought? Then a couple of laps later, Rubens slowed and pulled off the road with an expired engine. This reminds me of the old saw from Indy cars: "She runs well, then she runs really great just before she blows up and quits."

The biggest heartbreak of the day went to Eddie Jordan, Giancarlo Fisichella, and crew. Talk about a rollercoaster day. First a front suspension part fails on Firman's Jordan, causing a big wreck that took him out of action. Then you have the strong performance of Fisichella, as he avoids multiple other problems and soldiers through the big puddles and negotiates a drying track. Then he put on a spectacular pass on Kimi Raikonen to take the lead of the race. Next, a red flag for a massive crash that has claimed two cars halts the race just 1-1/2 laps later. Fisichella stops his car and everyone is cheering that Jordan has won the race. (The car that Fisi just exited is on fire, incidentally. The fire is quickly extinguished.) Finally, comes the blow. Under the rules stated in the FIA rulebook, any race that is stopped due to a red flag is scored at the last full lap prior to the red flag incident. This puts the scoring back two laps, when Kimi was still the leader. Fisichella is scored at second place, and Fernando Alonso who was involved in the race-ending crash is scored as the third place finisher. Alonso, meanwhile has been taken out of the field in the back of an ambulance. So on podium and in the press conference was a happy, though confused Raikonen as winner, an understandably disappointed Fisichella as second place, and an empty spot where Alonso should be at third.

Very bizarre.

2003-04-09T12:35:00.000-04:00

Stop the Press!

Fisichella may be rewarded the win after all. There is still a lot of debate going on about the scoring of the Brazilian GP, but a release issued by the FIA states that they have evidence that would according to the rules, re-establish Giancarlo Fisichella as the proper winner of the event. Will keep you posted as further details are disclosed.

2003-04-09T12:30:00.000-04:00

Three Stars - Week 8

1. Giancarlo Fisichella - Despite the rulebooks, in everyone's heart who saw the Brazilian GP, Fisi won the race. Because the race ended under a red flag stoppage, the FIA rules score the race back two laps. This put the winner as Kimmi Raikonen, even though Fisichella put a blistering lap, speeding past Raikonen and then checking out. It was heartbreak to watch as Eddie Jordan and crew learned that their "win" would not hold up after the scary crashes of Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso.

2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - He's really looking more and more like his father every day. If there's a restrictor plate race going on, it was always Dale, Sr. that could be found running up front. He won the Talladega race 10 times in his career. Given that lately a restrictor plate means "big wrecks", up front is a pretty good place to be. (Actually, Dale, Jr. wasn't at the front on lap 4, and had to run down into the infield to avoid the chaos that involved nearly 30 cars.)

3. Kyle Petty - The name of the game in the Aaron's 499 was to stay out of trouble. When the big mishap on lap 4 took out 28 cars, one car could be seen with the driver hard on the brakes. That driver was Kyle Petty. Later, when Michael Waltrip looped it and almost caused another big wreck, who was it that had to take quick action to avoid calamity? You guessed it: Kyle Petty. Ultimately, Petty would finish 11th, but in a much nicer looking car than it could have been. Most of those cars wouldn't have looked out of place for the end of a Bristol race.

2003-04-04T13:51:00.000-05:00

One more bit of good news for Champ Car:

Pook and company have extended their deal with Laguna Seca, to keep their cars running down the Corkscrew through '04 with options to '05 & '06. If they ever let that track slip away off the schedule, it'll be time to shut it all down for CART. Thanks, 7th gear!

2003-04-04T13:41:00.000-05:00

I Almost Don't Believe My Eyes, Dept.

A press release on the IRL website actually references that other sanctioning body. You know, the one that starts with "C" and rhymes with "art". They gingerly tap dance around them in bringing their Indy car-style "history" to the Montegi circuit in Japan. It's actually a pretty good piece of writing, and includes a great period picture of Jim Rathman in a roadster.

2003-04-04T13:28:00.000-05:00

Danica Patrick is set to make her return to the track where she made herself known, Long Beach. Robin Miller catches up with her (in a sense) in a great piece on the CART website. Want to know how capable a driver she is, ask Tommy Kendall or Sarah Fisher.

As soon as she's ready for the big leagues of Champ Car, Bobby Rahal should get her in a ride. It'll be the best move CART will have made in a long time. Let's get there, guys (and gals)!

2003-04-04T13:22:00.000-05:00

This week in racing:

April 6, 2003

Sao Paulo, Brazil - F1: Brazilian Grand Prix. Interlagos Circuit. Defending champion: Michael Schumacher. [Note: The weather report currently calls for rain on Sunday.]

Talladega, Alabama - NASCAR: Aaron's 499. Talladega Motor Speedway. Defending champion: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

2003-04-02T13:43:00.000-05:00

Three Stars - Week 7

1. Ryan Newman: Actually, I confess that I didn't see much racing at all this weekend. Due to my attendance at a bachelor party (no, not that kind of bachelor party!), I was quite tired on Sunday afternoon. But in amongst the cat-naps I awoke to see Newman's car making the donuts with a spectacular plume of tire smoke. On the basis of that burnout alone, I would award him a star.

2. Jeff Gordon: From the bits of the race that I did see, it was apparent that Jeff Gordon had a strong car that could have won at Texas.

3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: For the same reason as Jeff Gordon. From the little I saw of the race, I do remember Dale, Jr. racing well and battling for a top spot.

2003-04-02T12:52:00.000-05:00

Robin Miller (who else?) has a great write up on the successes of Michel Jourdain on the CART website. Jimmy Vasser gets a lot of credit for helping Michel turn the corner and become a good racer. Vamanos, Michel!

2003-03-28T16:22:00.000-05:00

Alex Barron will make the trip to Montegi to race in the Penske Toyota. Unfortunately, he's there as a substitute for Gil de Ferran who was involved in a very scary crash in Phoenix. de Ferran is recovering from injuries to his neck and lower back, as well as a concussion he sustained in the wreck.

I'm pulling for you, Gil. Get well very soon. In the meantime, I'll be cheering for Alex Barron and his teammate, Helio Castroneves.

2003-03-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

This week in racing:

March 30, 2003

Fort Worth Texas - NASCAR: Samsung/Radio Shack 500. Texas Motor Speedway. Defending champion: Matt Kenseth.

2003-03-25T14:20:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Kimi Raikkonen! The McLaren driver scored his first victory in F1 at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia this weekend. Looks like "The Flying Finn 2, the Sequel" perhaps?

2003-03-25T14:11:00.000-05:00

Three Stars - Week 6

1. Paul Tracy: PT didn't just win the Monterrey CART race this weekend. He played the game for the weekend. He drew the pole on Friday qualifying, but crashed his car during practice. Rather than withdraw and qualify his backup car, he stayed in the paddock all Saturday. Result: he started the race from the front row 2nd spot in front of cars that outpaced his lap time by over 2 seconds!

2. Tony Kanaan: The Andretti-Green team looked strong for most of the Phoenix race. Until Dario's engine let go, and Michael's car was taken out in a scary wreck with Gil de Ferran. Tony Kanaan soldiered on through all the wrecking and blown engines and had a great race.

3. Kurt Busch: Bumping and banging was the order of the day at Bristol. That'll never change. Kurt Busch ended his second week in a row of the NASCAR demo derby, but this time on top, taking his second Bristol win.

2003-03-25T13:56:00.000-05:00

IRL Fantasy Update:

The second race at Phoenix was a pretty exciting affair. There were plenty of lead changes, more than a few scary crashes, and some heartbreaking engine problems. The podium for this week's race was as follows:

1. Mean Machine
2. Whizzing Wheels
3. Lambros Entry
Mean Machine repaired the earlier damage to his team, by benching Greg Ray and Mark Dismore, and then picking drivers who are actually racing this year! The team was helped greatly by Tony Kanaan's win.
Whizzing Wheels had a good overall performance from her drivers. Jeff Ward was a no-show, but everyone else finished 12th or better.
Lambros Entry made third place in his debut race mainly as a result of Helio Castroneves' 2nd place and Shigeaki Hattori's top 10.

This leaves the championship looking like this:
1. Mean Machine
2. Texas Twostep
3. Whizzing Wheels

The next race is scheduled for April 13 at Twin Ring Montegi, Japan. Be sure to get your entries logged in by Saturday, April 12.

2003-03-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

Yoong is in! The former F1 pilot, Alex Yoong has replaced Gonzalez in the Dale Coyne champ car, when the Mexican driver's sponsorship money fell through. Quite ironic, isn't it? Mexican driver's ride dries up in Mexico, while Malaysian driver gets Mexico ride on the same week as Malaysian F1 GP.

2003-03-21T14:55:00.000-05:00

IRL Fantasy League:

Just a note for the fantasy league participants. The IRL race is this Sunday in Phoenix. Make sure you've got the right drivers picked out by Saturday. And good luck! I'll post the results on Monday, or when they come in (after Monday, if it's like the last race).

2003-03-21T14:50:00.000-05:00

This week in racing: (It's a big one!)

March 22, 2003

Monterrey, Mexico - Barber Dodge Pro Series: Fundidora Park circuit

Phoenix, Arizona - Infiniti Pro Series: Phoenix 100. Phoenix International Raceway. Inaugural event.; Midget races also.

March 23

Monterrey, Mexico - CART: Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix. Fundidora Park circuit. 2002 Champion: Cristiano da Matta.

Phoenix, Arizona - IRL: Purex Dial Indy 200. Phoenix International Raceway. Defending Champion: Helio Castroneves. Silver Crown also.

Kuala Lampur, Malaysia - F1: Malaysian Grand Prix. Defending Champion: Ralf Schumacher.

Bristol, Tennessee - NASCAR: Food City 500. Bristol Motor Speedway. Defending Champion: Kurt Busch

So, if you're needing a break from watching all the war coverage, and can't get excited about a blowout college basketball game, there's plenty of racing on this weekend. Enjoy!

2003-03-19T13:44:00.000-05:00

Robin Miller has gone through his mailbag and answered some more pithy comments and questions. There are many interesting, intriguing, and some scary comments on the state of open-wheel and its outlook for the future. By his estimation, road races in the IRL for next season are just about a done deal. (Road America AND Mid-Ohio. Say it ain't so!)

2003-03-17T13:31:00.000-05:00

Three Stars - Week 5

1. Joest Audi R8 Team: Joest is one of the most proven names in endurance racing. So is Audi, for the past 5 years at least. It's a shame that another of the more prolific drivers, Emmanuele Pirro of the Champion Audi team doesn't have a season ride for this year's ALMS campaign.

2. Ricky Craven: He fought Kurt Busch hard for that win. OK, I'll admit right off that I didn't watch this race, but I can tell by the pics on the RPM.com site that there was quite a lot of bumping and banging going on. But that's Darlington for ya.

3. The Bentley Boys: Having been sent to the back of the grid to start this year's 12 Hours of Sebring, the 2 Bentley prototypes charged through the field of GT's, LMP675's and LMP900's. At the end, they finished just in back of their siblings, the Audi LMP900's. They put on a great show in the pits as well, when the #7 car came in and received a whole new nose section.

2003-03-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

Looks like Tony George has added an Infiniti Pro Series event to the Indianapolis festivities in May. The 100-mile race will be held on the final day of qualifying for the big race. Great. In an attempt to drum up more interest in the race, which has now become a one-day event, he has successfully diluted the entire Indy 500. Oh, well. I'll still tune in for as much of it as I can watch. And Mr. George knows that, too, which is why he does these things.

2003-03-14T15:34:00.000-05:00

Good news for the future of Champ car:

Walker has teamed up with veteran Formula Ford chassis builder, Van Diemen to build Reynard chassis for 2004, 2005.

2003-03-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

This week in racing:

March 15, 2003

Sebring, FL - ALMS: 12 Hours of Sebring.

March 16

Darlington, SC - NASCAR: Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. Darlington Raceway. Defending Champion: Sterling Marlin.

2003-03-11T12:38:00.000-05:00

A sad, but expected outcome of the lawsuit: Road America has been removed from the CART schedule. This is such a huge loss to the series. Road America is the only road course of its kind in this country. What a shame.

2003-03-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

There's another great, pithy column on the state of American open-wheel racing from Robin Miller. He makes so many great points, rather than try to encapsulate them, I'll just direct you here. The sad thing is that it's so true.

2003-03-11T12:21:00.000-05:00

More good news from the Champ car guys:

CART has aquired the promotion company responsible for putting on the Miami street race. This ensures that the exciting venue will continue as a mainstay of the calendar for many seasons to come.

2003-03-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

Three Stars - Week 4

1. Bobby Labonte: Like Dale Jarrett a couple of weeks ago, Bobby Labonte looked like a man on a mission. He almost lost it (in more ways than one) when he slowed during a mid-race caution to give some people their laps back. Can someone please explain to the drivers that this is a terrible practice. Give laps back? This is a race, not a charity event.

2. McLaren F1 team: It was kind of refreshing to see the silver suits on the podium this week. Kimmi Raikonen (sp?) showed that he was capable of putting together a good race strategy. And DC showed that he still has what it takes. Yes, the win has a lot to do with Juan Montoya's brain fade, but David Coulthard was in the right position to take full advantage.

3. Chris Pook: Huh? CART didn't even have an event this weekend, you say? This is complex, but follow me: Chris Pook has had many conversations with Bernie Ecclestone over the past year. Obviously none of them had anything to do with revising qualifying procedures. CART's new qualifying as of last year added tremendously to the excitement that is a race weekend. F1's new qualifying takes all the excitement out of what was an exciting qualifying event. Single lap times with full race trim cars carrying starting fuel amounts... not so good. So, advantage CART. Hence the third star for Pook.

2003-03-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

F1:

Gerhard Berger has announced he's retiring as director of the Williams BMW team after this weekend's Australia GP. I can remember cheering for Berger in the mid-late 80's when he drove for Ferrari. This was back when Ferrari was the perennial underdog. He did say he'd continue to make appearances with BMW and Williams, just less frequently.

2003-03-07T12:19:00.000-05:00

This week in racing:

March 8, 2003
Melbourne, Australia - Formula 1: Australian Grand Prix. Albert Park Circuit. Defending Champion: Michael Schumacher.

March 9
Hampton, GA - NASCAR: Atlanta 500. Atlanta Motor Speedway. Defending Champion: Tony Stewart.

2003-03-03T15:23:00.000-05:00

IRL Fantasy Update: UPDATED!!

Sorry for the delay. First, the results didn't come in until late. Then, I've been away from my computer for the last few days. After the first race of the season, the podium looks like this:

Mean Machine, 1st
Texas Two-step, 2nd
Jerky Boyz, 3rd

The battle was tight and there was a close finish at the end. (Of course, you say. That's the IRL for you.) Points were decidedly down from where they could have been in this race. This was mainly due to all the teams suffering zero point players.

The Whizzing Wheels had the most starters on her field with only Jeff Ward scoring a non-starter zero.
The Texas Two-step suffered two setbacks, neither Greg Ray nor Mark Dismore were there to take the starters flag. Though I recently read in Autoweek that Ray is in the process of inking a ride deal.
The Jerky Boyz suffered two zeros, also. The first was when Eddie Cheever announced he'd only be racing at the Indy 500 this year, and the second was when Paul Tracy decided to race in Champ Cars, not the IRL this year.
Even the race-winning team of the Mean Machine was not immune to the plight of the "zero racer". Dismore and Ray let me down, too by not taking the start.

The two Epp entries must have gotten into the league late. Both had DNF's for the first race (0 Points). That's OK. There is a long season ahead, and those point deficits are surely surmountable.

The next race is at the Phoenix International Raceway. Entry deadline is March 22, so you have plenty of time to make changes to your line-ups.

Good luck!

2003-02-28T13:37:00.000-05:00

This week in racing:

March 2, 2003

Homestead, FL - IRL: Toyota Indy 300. Defending Champion: Sam Hornish, Jr.; Infiniti Pro Series: Western Union 100.

Las Vegas, NV - NASCAR: UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. Defending Champion: Sterling Marlin.

2003-02-27T11:08:00.000-05:00

In more somber news, Uruguayan driver Gonzalo Rodriguez's mother has filed a $25 million wrongful death suit against Laguna Seca and CART. Rodriguez is missed. I'll never forget that horrific crash, as I watched video of the car flipping over the barriers at the top of the corkscrew turn. 1999 was a terrible year for motorsports with the loss of Gonzalo Rodriguez & Greg Moore. My prayers will continue to go out to those who have lost someone they were close to, as a competitor or fan of motor racing.

2003-02-27T10:56:00.000-05:00

Good news for Sarah Fisher fans. She'll be in this week's Homestead race. Hopefully more i's will be dotted and t's crossed to fund a ride for the entire season. She's a more than capable driver, and a slam-dunk for any promoter to have her in the field this year. Let's hope they get it done!

2003-02-27T10:50:00.000-05:00

Helio Wins!!

Helio wins over teammate Gil de Ferran. No, it's not racing but tennis!

2003-02-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

IRL Fantasy League

I'm starting a fantasy league on the ESPN.com fantasy sports page. It's free to join, and the winners are placed in a drawing for prizes (though I'm not quite sure how that works). Anyway, I opened a public league on the website. Go to the fantasy sports link on espn.go.com , then look for the public league entitled "IRL Wacky Racers" and sign up.

You will be asked to select 5 from a pool of drivers. Each driver is assigned a value, and you're limited to 100 total points, so choose wisely. Then, you can change drivers from race to race or keep the same drivers as long as you want. There's no draft, so essentially everyone could pick Helio Castroneves if they wanted to. You will be competing for a place within the league, as well as against the entire population of ESPN competitors. Good luck!

2003-02-24T16:01:00.000-05:00

Three Stars – Week 2:

1. Paul Tracy: The first star of the week should have gone to Sebastian Bourdais. He dominated the qualifying after posting the best times during Spring Training. But a botched pit strategy and a tank-slapper showed he is a rookie after all. PT kept his temper under control, raced a good strategy, and wound up winning his 20th Champ Car race.
2. Boris Said: This star could have easily gone to Scott Pruett. He led all the laps of the Trans-Am race in St. Petersburg, and had the pole position. Pruitt’s win came after a long hiatus from motor racing. However, I’m giving the second star to opponent, Boris Said, because he started from dead last thanks to a failed tech inspection, and ended up on the podium. He came up through quite a dicey bunch of racers (ahem, Tony Drissi, ahem) to put on a strong finish.
3. Dale Jarrett: I only caught the final 40 laps of the Subway 400 from Rockingham, but I saw all that I needed to see. Kurt Busch and Dale Jarrett playing a game of cat-and-mouse, zigzagging through a huge group of lapped cars. Hey, NASCAR, did you know that sometimes attrition can be a good thing?!? Anyhow, it was exciting and once DJ got past Kurt, he never looked back. DJ looked hungry for a win, which is something I can’t say everyday when describing a Winston Cup driver.

2003-02-21T14:27:00.000-05:00

This Week in Racing:

Feb. 23, 2003

St. Petersburg, FL - Barber Dodge Pro Series, CART, SCCA Trans-Am. Inaugural race for circuit.

Rockingham, NC - NASCAR. 400 miles. Defending champion: Matt Kenseth.

2003-02-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

Three Stars - Week 1

Throughout the racing season, I will try to recap the racing highlights of the prior weekend by announcing my 3 Stars. (To borrow from hockey.)

1. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Dale had the car to beat for nearly the whole week. He won the Bud Shootout, the qualifying race, and had a front row spot in the Daytona 500. Only an alternator problem set him back, though you could tell he had a car that could have still worked his way back on the lead lap, had the race gone the entire distance.

2. Michael Waltrip - He was the right guy at the right place at the right time. In announcing his reaction to the win, he stated that he prayed to God to forgive him of his sins FIRST, then prayed for rain. OK, the praying for rain was kind of a selfish prayer, but to unapologetically proclaim his use of prayer on national TV - Mikey deserves a big thumbs-up!

3. The DEI team - They were the team to beat all week. Other NASCAR teams dubbed them the "23 Car". 8+15, get it. Their working together to get Dale Jr's first lap back, and Mikey the lead was crafted in such a way to make Jean Todt of the Ferrari F1 team proud! Team interaction may have taken a big step forward this year in NASCAR. We shall see!