The Paddock Pulse: September 1 Edition
by Tony Johns on Sep 1, 2010 4:27 PM EDT
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4 comments
A kind of eventful week since the last issue, amirite? A possible owner revolt, a thrilling yet sparsely-attended and underpromoted race at Chicagoland, dogs and cats living together... MASS HYSTERIA!
But it's September now, and that means that it's time to leave all of that in our rear-view and look forward to OMIGOSH OMIGOSH PAUL TRACY IS BACK IN THE SERIES! (faints) This is the best Canadian thing to happen to September since NHL training camp!
Phew. Okay, now that we've had our Snoopy Dance for the day, let's get straight to our selections from the blogosphere to act as icing on the cake.
For Paul Tracy, making his pitch now part of the game
by DaleNixon on Sep 1, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
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As Paul Tracy prepares for his fourth IZOD IndyCar series start of the season at Kentucky Speedway, the transformation from brash racing superstar to grizzled veteran qualifies as a makeover worthy of Dr. Phil's couch.
Gone, it seems, is the gruff exterior and the win-or-leave-a-pile-of-shredded-carbon-fiber mentality.
Now Tracy heads a personal marketing team that pulls together sponsorship packages to create racing opportunities and values the idea of finishing races as much as starting them.
Somewhere, Gerry Forsythe is chuckling at the irony, along with a bevy of former engineers and crew chiefs.
Haiku Tuesday: Breathe into a bag edition
by Tony Johns on Aug 31, 2010 1:52 PM EDT
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1 comment
Wowie-kazowie! That was one heck of a barn burner at Chicagoland Speedway, wasn't it? (Sits back and waits for flood of ticket renewals) Ohhhhhhhh wait. That's right, I forgot. We're not going back there, are we?
That's too bad, because it really looked like I could get some awesome seats (and, importantly, leg room) for next year's event. But I guess that ain't happenin'.
That's okay. I'll consider this week's Haiku Tuesday to be a wake for the dearly departed Peak Indy 300. We hardly knew ye...
Chicagoland Speedway thriller shows best, worst of IndyCar
by Tony Johns on Aug 29, 2010 11:59 AM EDT
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19 comments
Oh, Craig Rust. Your decision to replace the IZOD IndyCar Series next year with a NASCAR Chase race and a Nationwide Series event at Chicagoland Speedway is not sitting well with IndyCar fans after last night's amazing event.
Last night's Peak Indy 300 at Chicagoland had everything that IndyCar fans love about racing. It was as good an advertisement for IndyCar-style oval racing as you could hope for. It was so good that NASCAR fans on Twitter were trying to get their compadres to tune in during the late stages.
And yet, you couldn't help but notice the vast expanses of empty seats in the grandstand, any more than you'll be able to pretend that the abysmal TV ratings that will be announced over the next couple of days do not exist.
Two things were obvious last night - the IZOD IndyCar Series is capable of showcasing one of the most exciting products in modern motorsports, and the number of people that care about that is very small.
Does IndyCar have a future at Chicagoland Speedway?
by Tony Johns on Aug 27, 2010 12:38 PM EDT
in Feature Stories
1 comment
And each time I roam, Chicago is,
Callin' me home, Chicago is,
One town that won't let you down;
It's my kind of town.
Frank Sinatra - My Kind of Town
IndyCar "owner revolt" rumors an unwelcome reminder of a best-forgotten era
by Tony Johns on Aug 25, 2010 8:10 PM EDT
in Blog Posts
9 comments
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Robin Miller (apparently after talking to Mike King's Breakfast Spectre) has dropped the big bombshell that some of the IZOD IndyCar Series owners are up in arms about the 2012 IndyCar and the ICONIC committee recommendations. Robin titled his piece "Owners Reject 2012 Car" and led with this sphincter-tightening thought:
What happens if the IZOD IndyCar Series builds a new car for 2012 and most teams refuse to buy it? We just might find out.
Now, Robin being Robin, this breathless inducement to panic doesn't quite play out the way you'd expect in the article. It's a hook designed to get your brain screaming and your eyeballs dangling from their sockets.
Still, there's plenty in Robin's story to get in a tizzy about, and probably the biggest is the fact that some of the IndyCar owners seem to be regressing into some very disturbingly familiar thought patterns.
The Paddock Pulse: August 25 Edition
by Tony Johns on Aug 25, 2010 2:07 PM EDT
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There are rumors to the effect that this weekend's race at Chicagoland Speedway might be the last, and people seem to be pretty upset about that.
For my part, the only circular-shaped things in Chicago that I really care about are the pizzas that issue forth from the ovens at Gino's East. If you've ever wanted to know what a tongue-gasm feels like, you will want to fly post-haste to Chicago and head downtown for a Gino's deep dish.
I've really got to stop posting these articles around lunchtime. *eats desk calendar*
This week's succulent pepperoni-laden extra-cheese-topped pan full of bloggy yumslices follows the jump...
Haiku Tuesday: Ludicrous Speed Edition
by Tony Johns on Aug 24, 2010 12:00 PM EDT
in Haiku Tuesday
3 comments
Okay, so you know the whole controversy surrounding whether or not Roger Penske has some "special parts" for his team's Dallaras? I'm not qualified to speculate on that - either from an engineering or paranoia standpoint - but I know one thing for sure, and that's the fact that the only special part Penske needs in his cars at a road course is WILL BLEEPING POWER.
Can you believe this guy didn't have a full-time ride before this season? Well, actually, yes I can, because it seems like there are lots of talented IndyCar-capable drivers without full-time (or even part-time) rides these days. But Will's got one now, and unless Penske decides that cocker spaniel pictures and wakeboarding reports on Twitter are more important than RACE VICTORIES AND TROPHIES, he's going to keep it even if Roger downsizes going into next year.
But don't take my word for it - ask the poetry gods!...
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