Chassis favorites spread across generational lines
by Tony Johns on Mar 9, 2010 1:56 PM EST
in Feature Stories
2 comments
It's been a great pleasure to sift through the responses to our informal survey about IndyCar fans' all-time favorite chassis.
The nominations ran the gamut from old cars to new, from front-engined roadsters to rear-engined bullets. And yes, even the DeltaWing got a nod or two.
But in the end, the most interesting result of our survey was how the responses grouped fans into their respective generations.
2 comments | 0 recs |
BAT unveils challenger for 2012 IndyCar concept prize
by Tony Johns on Mar 5, 2010 11:42 AM EST
in Feature Stories
14 comments
BAT Engineering, a company formed by IndyCar design veterans Bruce Ashmore, Alan Mertens and Tim Wardrop, launched their concept at their new website today, complete with render images of the new car.
In a press release, BAT leaned heavily towards the "safety" angle, mentioning that the design team met with Dr. Terry Trammell and IndyCar's safety team to help guide the design's form and function.
Renders of the new car after the jump...
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Use - don't lose - your heads
by Tony Johns on Mar 4, 2010 3:06 PM EST
in Blog Posts
21 comments
There is a time and place for everything.
There is a time to vent one's frustrations, and there is a time to keep those frustrations to oneself.
There is a time for righteous outrage, and there is a time for sober objectivity.
Today, I'm advocating the latter option in both situations. Someone needs to, especially today, because advocates of the former in two separate instances are making complete fools of themselves - and it really should stop.
21 comments | 0 recs |
The Paddock Pulse: Mar. 3 Edition
by Tony Johns on Mar 3, 2010 1:43 PM EST
in Paddock Pulse
0 comments
Today is NHL trade deadline day, and because I'm an enormous hockey fan I'm actually typing this with one hand while Twittering madly about the ongoing trades that are happening as we speak. But fear not, folks, because we still have some good stuff for you to read from our peers in the 'sphere. Check them out:
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Dim stars and faded stripes [Indy Racing Revolution]
These days, it's easier to find a Canadian hockey fan that thinks Phoenix should have an NHL team than it is to find an American driver with enough sponsorship to drive in IndyCar. And that's saying something. Chris Estrada analyzes what it might mean for IndyCar to have such a low percentage of domestic representation among its driver ranks. -
Thus begins Simonamania [My Name Is IRL]
Figures that Iannucci would bust out the awesome with Simona de Silvestro's new nickname: "Swiss Miss." Definitely beats "My Simona." Learn more about the latest threat to Danicamania here. -
The Art Of Avoiding Clichés [Oilpressure]
George Phillips knocks one out of the park with this look under the microscope at the clichés used in racing broadcasting. See what I did there? I used clichés myself... to introduce an article on clichés! Man. Can you believe I took classes for this? -
Dallara Eager to Build on 14 Years of Success with IndyCar [pressdog.com]
Pressdog continues his frustrating trend of introducing actual journalism to the blogosphere with his in-depth look at Dallara and their concepts for the 2012 IndyCar. If Bill keeps this up, he might get hired by a legitimate mainstream media outlet. And we can't have that. (I hear they actually outlaw snark in their employment contracts.)
Final Thoughts
Ryan at our partner site Junior Open Wheel Talent is going to be holding a live Q&A with Jonathan Summerton on Monday at 8pm ET. Make sure you show up for that - not just because Ryan is comprised of skin, hair, teeth, blood and EPIC WIN, but because Jon Summerton is quite possibly the closest any race driver will ever come to Tony Robbins in sunny disposition and "can-do" attitude.
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What's in a (nick)name?
by Tony Johns on Mar 2, 2010 3:38 PM EST
in Blog Posts
3 comments
A couple of weeks ago, Danica Patrick cast her net on the Twitter grounds trying to reel in some ideas for a new nickname.
Apparently, racing's #1 diva felt that she needed a moniker that her crew could call her that was amusing without being insulting. "DP" was too simple, and I'm pretty sure that her other nicknames - the ones she accumulated involuntarily from her IndyCar career - were not what she had in mind.
It then occurred to me that some of the newer drivers in IndyCar probably feel the same way. New to the paddock, they might benefit from having a nickname like some of the more established drivers (i.e., Briscoe Inferno, The Iceman, Shoe Boy, etc.).
Well, Pop Off Valve is only a couple of months old so it's not like we're paddock fixtures yet either - but since we want to be as helpful as possible to the folks we cover, here are a few of our suggestions for you drivers out there.
3 comments | 0 recs |
The Ladder Report: March 2 Edition
by JOWT Blog on Mar 2, 2010 1:32 PM EST
in Ladder Report
0 comments
Well, we've made it to March and there was actually a decent number of driver announcements over the past week. The Skip Barber National Championship will hold their first event of the 2010 season this coming weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. So, the next time you see a Ladder Report ... the 2010 season will officially be underway.
Here's a look back at some of the junior formula news from the last week.
Skip Barber National Championship
Skip Barber National Champion to Receive an Indy Lights Test with Bryan Herta Autosport: Bryan Herta Autosport announced a new partnership with the Skip Barber Racing School that will provide the 2010 Skip Barber National Champion with an Indy Lights test. The affiliation will also allow the Skip Barber National competitors a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at how an Indy Lights team operates during race weekends.
Skip Barber Releases Entry List for Rounds 1 & 2: As noted above, the 2010 Skip Barber National Championship will get underway this weekend. The entry list for this weekend's event at Homestead-Miami Speedway consists of 21 drivers (4 of which will be competing in the Skip Barber Cup- a new championship designed for drivers over the age of 26).
Star Mazda
Tristan Vautier Signs with Andersen Racing: Tristan Vautier committed to running the 2010 Star Mazda Championship with Andersen Racing. Vautier is a transplant from the Formula Palmer Audi series where he finished 4th in the overall standings. He tested a Star Mazda car with Andersen Racing at Sebring International Raceway in January and impressed quite a few people with his overall speed.
Indy Lights
Jean-Karl Vernay Signs with Sam Schmidt Motorsports: Sam Schmidt signed J.K. Vernay for the 2010 season. The 22-year-old Frenchman should be a real solid addition to Sam's squad. Last season, Vernay competed in the Formula 3 Euro Series where he logged 2 wins, 5 podiums, and 13 top-ten finishes. I fully expect to see Jean-Karl at or near the front of the pack this season.
Sebastian Saavedra Signs with Bryan Herta Autosport: Sebastian Saavedra, who was a front runner during the 2009 Indy Lights season, will return to the series in 2010 with Bryan Herta Autosport. If Saavedra is able to make better race decisions in 2010, he could quite possibly be an early favorite for the overall title in 2010.
Gustavo Yacaman Signs with Cape Motorsports / Wayne Taylor Racing: Gustavo Yacaman announced that he will return to Indy Lights competition this season with Cape Motorsports and Wayne Taylor Racing. The return of the Cape brothers and the addition of Wayne Taylor Racing to the open-wheel world perked quite a few ears this week.
Indy Lights: Barber Motorsports Park Test- Fourteen Indy Lights' drivers participated in a pre-season open test at Barber Motorsports Park last Friday. Canadian James Hinchcliffe set the fastest overall time in both sessions and was the only driver to break into the 1:14's (lap time). For complete results, make sure to outclick on the link above.
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For much more on the junior open-wheel racing scene, be sure and visit JuniorOpenWheelTalent.com and follow JOWT on Twitter!
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Q&A with Vision Racing
by Tony Johns on Feb 28, 2010 12:34 PM EST
in Live Events
2 comments
Pop Off Valve kicked off the first in a series of live events with a Q&A session with Vision Racing's Ed Carpenter and Pat Caporali on Monday, March 1st. If you missed the chat, hit the jump for the full replay!
2 comments | 0 recs |
The Paddock Pulse: Feb. 24 Edition
by Tony Johns on Feb 24, 2010 12:59 PM EST
in Paddock Pulse
0 comments
What does one do after getting mentioned on Trackside with Curt and Kevin because one engaged in a Twitter battle with Paul Tracy? Why, create a clippings post, of course!
A quick word about the Pulse - there's so much good stuff out there that our Paddock Pulse posts are getting very long and unwieldy. So going forward we're going to be a bit more selective in what we highlight here for brevity's sake. But don't take that as an insult, fellow writers - we still encourage all our readers to browse our blogroll and add the links to your bookmarks. Trust us - they're worth the visit!
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It's a Small World After All [Drive Hard, Turn Left]
Bill at Drive Hard, Turn Left was apparently intrigued by one of the "throwaway" tweets I posted in my Twitter-sation with PT on Feb. 23rd. The article that followed is a good self-examination from a fan perspective about whether the lack of American drivers in IndyCar is a deal-breaker. Read it and see if you agree. -
A Swift response to the Delta Wing [My Name is IRL]
When you stop by My Name is IRL and see a post that forces you to scroll for what seems like an eternity, you realize that Jeff Iannucci has stopped teasing you with the appetizers and has served you a big juicy plate full of filet mignon. Those are the moments where I just sit, read, and enjoy something that in most cases I am envious that I didn't write. This article is one of those posts. Oh, and there's a picture of a Pontiac Aztek in there too. -
Should The Sisters Sell? [Oilpressure]
The idea that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might at some point down the road move out of the hands of the Hulman-George family is one that makes even the saltiest paddock salt start to feel nervous. George at Oilpressure takes a look at the possibility of what in IndyCar circles would be akin to trading Wayne Gretzky to the Kings. -
Swift Urges Fan Input, Says Designs Still Evolving [pressdog.com]
You really should be bookmarking pressdog.com and reading it regularly - Bill certainly has enough output for you to make his site required daily reading. But this entry is a home run that deserves special mention, with the 'Dog getting all up close and personal with Mark Page, chief designer of Swift Engineering. READ! READ NOW! -
It’s time to revise our definition of ride-buying [Planet-IRL]
Stephanie at Planet-IRL jumps into the American driver debate with an examination of what it means to be a "ride buyer" in today's IndyCar series. Although she brings up 'King Hero (you do know what that leading apostrophe is for, right?), her analysis is admirably even-handed and brings up something that many fans don't want to think about: why are American companies sponsoring foreign drivers instead of Americans, and what might that say? -
John Barnes and the DeltaWing project [Indy Racing Revolution]
Our buddy Chris Estrada has finally gotten his site back on the air, and on the first catch of the game scores an 80-yard touchdown with this interview with Panther Racing's principal owner about the most controversial subject in IndyCar at the moment. Barnes pulls no punches - but be warned, if you're 40 years old or older, be prepared to feel a little unwanted. -
The Pagoda Unveils Its Revolutionary Chassis Design [The Silent Pagoda]
"That's no car... it's a MAN PART!" We've heard that so often about the DeltaWing that some of us forgot how the complaint echoes the words of a certain aged Jedi Knight. Roy Hobbson, though - man, that dude doesn't miss a trick. I bring this up because it provides a bit of context for this (as usual) hilarious blog post about the fifth entry in the 2012 IndyCar chassis proposal race.
Final Thoughts
Keep sending your letters to Randy Bernard. The guy wants to hear from fans about the direction of the IndyCar series. Seriously. He actually cares about your opinions. So take advantage of that largesse before he comes to his senses.
Also, Vision Racing could still use your help. It's getting very sad as the season gets closer to see the forlorn tweets from Lauren and Ed on the outside looking in. Pat Caporali has been relentlessly positive but even someone as determined to look on the bright side as she is needs some encouragement. So help out - even if it's just a note expressing your support.
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