The curious case of Sebastian Saavedra
by Tony Johns on Sep 7, 2010 2:24 PM EDT
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Under normal circumstances, Sebastian Saavedra might be excused for seeing two Bryan Herta Autosport cars sitting wrecked on the Kentucky Speedway asphalt and saying, "I'm glad it's not me."
Indeed, the William Rast-sponsored Firestone Indy Lights car that Saavedra has been driving this season was parked on the apron with its left front tire sitting on top of the sidepod, inches away from the helmet of Daniel Herrington - Saavedra's replacement. The other BHA car, driven by Stefan Wilson, was sitting on the infield grass, virtually stripped down to the tub by heavy contact.
You might not blame Saavedra for his "There, but for the grace of God..." sentiment - but what if you understood the correct context of his comment - and the action that preceded it?
Haiku Tuesday: My Old Kentucky Gas Tank
by Tony Johns on Sep 7, 2010 11:56 AM EDT
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I'm sure you noticed as well as I did that Cameron, the IZOD Trophy Girl, was replaced in Kentucky's victory lane by a guy dressed up as a big horse, right?
That produced almost, but not quite, the same feeling of disappointment that Ed Carpenter felt after finishing runner-up AGAIN to a Penske car at Kentucky Speedway. And this time he didn't even get to lose it in a photo finish. Helio Castroneves, the guy who has totally ruined "The Girl from Ipanema" for the entire world thanks to his singing performance on the ethanol commercials, won the race Danica Patrick-style - on fuel mileage.
Let us revisit the fun that was at the Bluegrass State's big racetrack in verse, shall we? Hit the jump for the haiku...
EMOTICONIC Race Chat: Kentucky Indy 300
by Tony Johns on Sep 4, 2010 8:00 PM EDT
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The Hammer nails qualifying, pries Kentucky IndyCar pole from Power
by Tony Johns on Sep 3, 2010 3:49 PM EDT
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Ed Carpenter and Vision Racing pulled off the seemingly impossible today, wresting the top spot in qualifying from the clutches of Penske Racing's Will Power at the Kentucky Indy 300.
Carpenter and Vision, both of whom are working in conjunction with Panther Racing in a limited schedule this season, are no strangers to Kentucky Speedway. Last year, Carpenter nearly won the IZOD IndyCar Series event at this track, losing by a fraction of a second to Penske's Ryan Briscoe at the line.
This is Carpenter's first pole position and only the third pole position this year won by anyone other than Team Penske. Ganassi's Dario Franchitti won the pole at the season opener in Brazil, and Justin Wilson of Dreyer and Reinbold Racing qualified quickest at Toronto.
On the eve of the IRL's 200th race, a look back at its first
by Tony Johns on Sep 3, 2010 12:22 PM EDT
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Today, Bradley Calkins, Jr. - better known to race fans as "Buzz" - is a manager for Bradley Petroleum, a company run by his father Brad that owns a chain of below-cost gas stations and convenience stores in the Rocky Mountain region.
Almost 15 years ago, though, he was a professional racing driver preparing to make his first start in a brand-new series - again, working for his father under the aegis of Bradley Motorsports.
He and 25 other drivers showed up in Florida to race on the day before Super Bowl XXX at a track built on the grounds at Walt Disney World. The 1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway would be the first race of the fledgling Indy Racing League's inaugural season.
The Paddock Pulse: September 1 Edition
by Tony Johns on Sep 1, 2010 4:27 PM EDT
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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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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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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.
EMOTICONIC Race Chat: Chicagoland
by Tony Johns on Aug 28, 2010 7:09 PM EDT
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