Feature Stories
Are we not entertained? The case for Paul Tracy in IndyCar
by Tony Johns on Jun 25, 2010 3:12 PM EDT
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I haven’t always liked Paul Tracy as a driver.
I have friends from Canada who swear by him. I think he’s their version of Dale Earnhardt - brash, totally unapologetic, completely fearless, and willing to push beyond the limits of his talent if necessary to win.
But me, well... I’ve always been torn when it comes to PT. It’s been strange over the years how every time I try to like him, he does something stupid or outrageous... but then, when I decide I don’t like him, he comes back and turns that feeling on its head and makes me laugh at his jokes or gasp in amazement at some new feat of derring-do.
Whether I like him or not, of course, is totally immaterial - both to me and to Tracy himself. The Thrill from West Hill (for you non-Canucks out there, that’s in Scarborough, which ironically is on the east side of Toronto) doesn’t appear to care who likes him. What’s important is that he’s liked - or if he is not, he is at least talked about - and to him that in itself is a reason why he should be in an IndyCar.
And I agree with him.
The Ultimate Delta Wing Interview - Is Ben Bowlby the Next Granatelli or Frankenstein?
by DaleNixon on Jun 13, 2010 12:07 PM EDT
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If there has ever been a more polarizing concept car design than the Delta Wing IndyCar, it certainly has not been in the modern era of IndyCar racing.
Or for that matter, any form of auto racing.
Part stealth fighter, part Jetsons factory car, (and some might argue, part lawn dart or tricycle), the Delta Wing is not simply a boring update like NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" (which looked pretty much the same as the car of last week) nor an evolution of an existing open wheel design like competing entries from Swift, Dallara, Lola and BAT.
It is a revolution in terms of both design and materials. Lighter, faster, sleeker than the present car yet less complex and expensive, the Delta Wing model on display in front of the Pagoda at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a neck-snapping, traffic stopper of both the drunk and sober alike.
I want to hire the Grahamboni: Rahal to sub for Conway
by Tony Johns on Jun 9, 2010 11:54 PM EDT
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Graham Rahal didn't stay rideless long.
The young American driver and "journeyman of the year" will be announced officially within hours as the replacement driver for Mike Conway's #24 Dallara at Dreyer and Reinbold Racing. Rahal's deal currently is for the upcoming IZOD IndyCar Series events at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 and reportedly the Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen.
Conway, injured at Indianapolis in a wicked shunt into the catchfence after contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay, is out for a minimum of three months and may miss the rest of the season. Tomas Scheckter stepped in for Conway at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend.
ICONIC bears first fruits with 2012 preliminary engine spec
by Tony Johns on Jun 2, 2010 6:35 PM EDT
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The days of a single-manufacturer sealed-engine specification in the IZOD IndyCar Series are coming to an end, according to a press release issued by the sanction today.
In what they call "a dramatic change," IndyCar officials have opened up the series' powerplant rules by mandating maximums of six cylinders and 2.4 cubic inches of displacement, as well as a horsepower range of 550-700 hp and turbochargers. All engines will be required to run on ethanol fuel.
This first step was taken on the recommendation of the ICONIC IndyCar Advisory Committee by IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard and is the precursor to the series' new chassis specification, which is expected to be announced prior to June 30 of this year.
Indy 500 Post-Race Quote-A-Rama
by Tony Johns on May 30, 2010 10:47 PM EDT
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You have to hand it to the folks at IndyCar PR - they certainly know how to wring a quote out of their drivers.
What follows is a quote from virtually everyone in today's starting field for the 94th Indy 500 (excepting Mike Conway, who we will excuse on account of the fact that he is facing surgery on his broken left leg... get well soon, Mike). Some of them are pretty juicy, too (see: Hamilton, Davey).
Quote goodness after the jump...
Second Indy 500 victory for Frico Suave
by Tony Johns on May 30, 2010 8:37 PM EDT
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The outcome of the 94th Indianapolis 500 came down to a couple of gallons of fuel.
Dario Franchitti had them. Tony Kanaan didn’t. And Chip Ganassi now has the Borg-Warner Trophy to set next to the Harley J. Earl Trophy he won in February.
Franchitti won the race under yellow after Ryan Hunter-Reay and Mike Conway wrecked on the final lap. The caution cut short a fast-closing Dan Wheldon’s rally just as the cars were approaching the double checkered flags.
Wheldon finished second, while Marco Andretti, Alex Lloyd and Scott Dixon rounded out the top five.
Castroneves in Indy 500 driver's seat
by Tony Johns on May 28, 2010 6:00 PM EDT
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Carb Day festivities are over, the Last Row Party is in full swing, and in a day and a half the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race will be underway.
Helio Castroneves, already a three-time winner of the 500, looks difficult to beat. He won the pole for Sunday's race and his Team Penske crew won the annual Pit Stop Challenge today. But this year's 500 field is full of talent and skill, and as everyone knows by now, the Indy 500 isn't over until the winner takes the double-checkers.
As the countdown to race day continues, we take a look at the top five qualifiers for the race as well as the five strongest dark horse candidates who could spoil their party.
Rollin' the bones
by Tony Johns on May 23, 2010 7:27 PM EDT
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Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That's the way that lady luck dances
Roll the bones
Rush
It was a roll of the dice... a close-your-eyes-and-pray moment.
For four drivers, it meant one of two things - either make it into the Indianapolis 500, or watch it from the grandstands.
One driver rolled and hit. Two rolled snake eyes. And one wasn’t even around to watch as his fate was decided.
Edge-of-your-seat drama, incredulity, joy and frustrated tears. Just another Bump Day at Indy.
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