1969 Indy 500

Thanks SportsCarBruce...

Featured Team Of The Month (May)

Void's last post made me realize that we need to keep the coverage on the site well rounded. So, I took it upon myself to start a new feature on SGN, called the Featured Team Of The Month.

So to get started, this month we will be looking at Void's current favorite ALMS team: Intersport Racing.

Intersport Racing is owned and operated by Clint Field. The Ohio based team is one of the founding members of the ALMS series and runs a Lola B06/10-AER in the LMP1 class. The team drivers consist of Clint, Clint's father Jon, and Richard Berry. Both Clint and Jon have won a P2 class championship in the past.

The team is currently running in 2nd place in the P1 class with 33 points. Believe it or not, they are ahead of the 2nd Audi team at the moment. This just goes to show that a team with an owner that also drives can have success in this series. And it shows that Void knows how to pick a team.

A Warning To Sports Car Racing Fans

As you may have noticed, Indy-fever has afflicted my fellow blogger, Mark. Bigtime.

It's not even May Day (which, as a socialist, I am duty bound to celebrate - so don't expect any posts from me tomorrow) and he is already hyping the bajeezus out of that little Memorial Day get together at the brickyard. Somehow, in his euphoria, he even dragged my name into the proceedings. So what if I think Tony George was the second shooter on the grassy knoll? I have my reasons.

You see, it's not that I lack interest in the 500. Quite the opposite, I am looking forward to a much improved race this year. I just don't see why it's such a big deal. Let's be honest, Indy has lost most of its luster over the last decade. Far more people will watch the NASCAB 600 that same weekend ('cause, ya know, they can go 100 extra miles so it must be better). Even with the added interest of a single open wheel series, the race is a pale shadow of its former glory.

And I hate to pee in anybody's Cheerios, but it should be pointed out that the Indianapolis 500 is not, nor has it ever been, the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing'. That honor belongs to a race not quite as old but with an even richer history: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. A distance of 500, even 600 miles just seems so trivial next to a race that spans an entire revolution of our planet. And while the Indy fans like to brag about 220 mph top speeds, Le Mans enthusiasts know the Mulsanne Straight has seen speeds in excess of 250 mph. Not that speed is everything, of course. :~D

Anyway, the Le Mans hype can wait another month. For the time being sports car racing fans visiting The Starting Grid will have to endure endless posts about the greatest spectacle in American open wheel racing. But our time shall come, my comrades of the covered wheel, our time shall come!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming...

Countdown To The 500

And so here we are, next up.. May. And what a month it will be. Especially for me.


This year I will be attending the 500 for the first time.. live and in person. You see.. I am too cheap to buy a big screen high definition television. So I had one of two options:


1) Go over to Void's house to watch it in high def while he explains his many conspiracy theories about TG

OR

2) Actually attend the race, and witness "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" for myself.

So I decided to go. My wife and I will be heading down there a few days before the race just to catch the sights and sounds. I am still trying to figure out what we will be doing there, but thanks to the folks at trackforum I have plenty of ideas. I hope to take a ton of pictures and post as much on the blog as possible.

So, here we go. Lots of stuff coming up this month.

Stay tuned!

What's Next? What's the Score Here?

Jason Peters wrote an outstanding article about what needs to happen before IndyCar can become popular again. At the moment things look good because of the unification and the Dana-fication of the series. But the momentum can only last so long if steps are not taken perpetuate the progress made so far. He makes several excellent points regarding leveraging sponsors and improving television coverage.

I agree with everything he says. But I feel there is one more thing that needs to happen. As fans we have a responsibility also. IndyCar fans should share the same passion that Nascar fans do. Try telling a Nascar fan that the Cup series is inferior to F1. They will rattle off things like car counts, tv ratings, constant passing. Be prepared to combat those things. I feel that part of the reason why Nascar has become the de facto racing series here in the US is because, as fans, we have allowed it to happen. Partly because we had no feet to stand on, and partly because we were angry about someone or something. But this is our chance. We have one series, a good product, personable drivers, and the Month Of May. We have little excuse to not back up our series now.

We don't need to be irritating or closed minded. But we do need to stand our ground. Occasionally I watch the rolling wash tubs to see what is going on, and I know one other person who watches it because it is broadcast in high def. Nothing wrong with that, but if we are going to talk racing, I guarantee you that IndyCar will be discussed. And you will not tell me that a 45 car count is what determines "real racing".

As fans we can also support the sponsors, fly the colors, make fun of the "I Am Mindy" chant (ok, that might not help), and participate in the online forums and blogs.

I for one look forward to the day when, as fans, we can just concentrate on the racing and not the success or failure of the series. But for the moment we need to play a bigger part.

(No.. TG is not holding me hostage... (yes he is.. help) )

Dixon on Wisconsin Morning Show

Here in Milwaukee it seems that the IndyCar hype is beginning early, which is a good thing for the Mile.

With the unification bringing additional tracks into the series next year, many are wondering if the low turnouts in the past few years will cost the Mile its slot on the schedule. Last week even Curt Cavin made some observations on TG's reaction to the empty bleachers. Not to mention there is quite a bit of fan interest in bringing Road America back which could potentially replace the Mile.

Anyway, tomorrow (April 29th) the "Bob And Brian" morning show will be interviewing Scott Dixon, and will hopefully generate some interest here for both the 500 and the Mile race. We have been hearing the standard Danica stuff (more than ever..), but it will be good for Wisconsinites to hear some other driver names. The show has also interviewed TK in the past, so I expect to hear from him after May. According to Paddock Talk, Dixon is one of several drivers who have been sent out by the IRL to roam across the country kicking up attention for the upcoming spectacle.

Update: You can download the interview here.

You can listen to the broadcast tomorrow morning online at http://www.bobnbrian.com.

Oh It's On...

CBS Sports columnist Gregg Doyel is not a fan of the IRL. I think he makes that abundantly clear when he says in his latest column, "the IRL is not real racing. Not real good racing, anyway. It's not the best car circuit in this country -- that would be NASCAR." Ouch! Them's fightin' words! But why the out and out hate for Tony's League of Extra Ordinary Gentlemenpersons all of a sudden?

Well, it seems Gregggg (was that enough g's? I can never remember how many he uses) is not digging the Danica lovefest that is so popular nowadays. In fact, it down right irks him. As far as he is concerned, "the IRL is the junior varsity of racing...Danica Patrick finally won herself a JV race, and that's good for her."

He just doesn't want us to make such a big deal of the whole thing. Because, let's face it, according to him "winning in the IRL isn't a matter of talent. It's a matter of time. Race 50 times...and you're bound to win eventually" Please don't tell that to Milka, we may never get rid of her then.

Coming Soon: Circle Making Contests

Nascar has proven yet again that it can exploit just about anything. It appears that we will now have the pleasure of witnessing the "Pennzoil Burnout Contest" this year.

Personally I felt that the traditional (and optional might I add) victory burnout was sufficient. Sometimes drivers would perform a variation of the maneuver and it was kept to a minimum. I think it made for a classy victory celebration, but not anymore.

As usual, Nascar has taken it to the extreme and it will become yet another thing they have destroyed. It was bad enough that it became a requirement at the end of each race. But now a contest? Just wait... the burnouts themselves will be sponsored soon. How about the "Sizzler Smokin Squealer" or the "Pepsi - Pour It On The Pits"?

Here is to you.. oh you gem of a racing series and creator of hillbilly bliss:

Hybrids In F1? Ferrari Says No Thank You

Next season Formula One begins a 4-year journey towards becoming a hybrid-powered racing series. The first phase of this transition will be a system that captures energy normally wasted during the braking process. This energy will be stored for later use giving drivers the ability to deliver additional horsepower at the push of a button. Now why does that sound familiar? Oh that’s right, ChampCar’s (in)famous Push-to-Pass feature. I guess SeaBass will feel right at home with this. That is if he still has an F1 “home” next year.

Now, before you get all smug excited about the prospect of a green Formula One, perhaps you should listen to what Ferrari has to say about this brave new world. It seems the boys in Maranello are none too keen on the idea of a Prius-cum-F1 race car. Vice-president Piero Ferrari insists the new rules will add unnecessary cost and complexity and to a series already more expensive than most teams can afford.

Given Ferrari's dominance in F1 over the last decade, it’s easy to dismiss this as a meaningless rant from a manufacturer desperate to ward off any threat to its success. But I feel they have a valid point. Hybrids aren’t really the best solution for improving fuel mileage in our street cars. So how they have any real worth in a high performance race car is way beyond my comprehension. But it seems someone at the FIA is convinced this whole scheme makes sense. Does anybody know if Max Mosley enjoys the smell of his own farts?

Congrats to Will and Farewell Champ Car

Before you continue reading this, I am going to make a promise to you. There will be no cheesy play on the word “power” in this blog post.

It seems fitting that the final chapter of the CCWS ends with a win for Kevin Kalkhoven and his team. Will made an aggressive move in the initial seconds of the race and dominated the rest of the race. Both team and driver executed without error, and officially closed the books on the open wheel split era.

I watched the race with mixed feelings. There is much to be happy about right now as an open wheel fan. It was time for this thing to end. But at the same time much will be lost. Good drivers have lost rides, good teams will disappear or move elsewhere, and a unique form of racing is gone forever.

I have always felt that CCWS was a series devoted to innovation and measurement of skill while the IRL has always eyed sponsorship and entertainment. Some may disagree with my perspective, that’s just how I view it. And I think all of those things are important to running a successful series. My hope is that all parties have learned a lesson and that the new series can incorporate the great things from both sides, and finally give the sport the credibility that it truly deserves.

Thanks for the great years of racing CART/CCWS. It has been a great ride.

Holy Crap

Congratulations to Danica. I have not been her #1 fan in recent years, but this win is well deserved. With 15 laps left I began to ask myself if it was possible. By 3 laps I was on my feat. When she crossed the finish line I knew I had just witnessed one of the greatest highlights of this years racing season.. if not the next ten.

This was far from an easy win, running on a cold track and fighting early understear. Yes, fuel strategy played its part, but Helio played the same game and quickly lost his chance. Yes it was only half the field. But I don't think it would have mattered.

So, what a year so far? Rahal last week, Danica this week. Only three races in. And the weekend is not over yet. Maybe I am just riding a racing high.. but I could not be happier with this league right now. Just be ready for the Danica media craze tomorrow..

1991 Long Beach Highlights

Time to travel back 17 years to the 1991 CART GP.

Paul Tracy Turns the Page

This weekend, Paul Tracy and Gerry Forsythe will dance together one more time, on the streets of Long Beach. Will it be civil? I haven't heard any promises from either side. Anything is possible, especially when PT gets in front of the cameras. And will GF bother to dust of the old DP01 before sending his favorite driver off into the sunset? Who knows..

So what is next for PT? There is every possibility that Vision may pick him up for the remainder of the year. If that doesn't happen, there is discussion about who Penske might throw in the third Indy 500 entry. Rumor is he could be competing with Sam Hornish for the ride. If that is the case, he may be out of luck. He doesn't bring a sponsor to the table at the moment, and that doesn't help his situation either.

PT has past ties with Penske, Newman/Haas, and AGR (from his Team Green days). As a veteran driver who is no longer under contract, we should see someone pick him up very quickly after this weekend. If we don't, then it may be a sign that he has burned one to many bridges. Or the IRL may just be afraid of the French. Its anyones guess.


UPDATE: After qualifying today, PT himself expressed some concern about his future in open wheel racing. He believes that one year out of a car could end his career should something not work out for him soon.

Nascar Merchandisation

It is a well known fact that Nascar is very picky when it comes to giving out the "Nascar Stamp Of Approval". So you know when it has the Nascar logo.. it is a quality product. Here are a couple of items you may want to stash away under the trailer for next Christmas..



Nascar Pets Calendar:
Ever wondered what pet your favorite Nascar driver has? Is it critical to your own pet purchasing decision? Well I have good news. This product not only will guide you through the pet purchasing process, it will also help you remember what month it is.

---

Track Guide:
Everyone knows that Nascar tracks are hard. It’s easy to forget which turn is coming up next. That’s why the official Nascar Track Guide can help you out. It’s the same one the drivers use!

---

Nascar Gas Can Travel Mug:
Living room lawn chair damage is a constant threat when getting up to re-fill your drink during a race. Fill this sucker up and you won’t miss any of the yellow flag action ever again!

---

Backyard Pit Stop Emulator:
I don't quite get how this works, I think it involves a hole in a sheet. I have been assured by Nascar officials that somehow you feel like you get the full pit stop experience from it. Your neighbors will love seeing this in your backyard.

---

Speed Bumps: The Novel
I swear to DW reading this book with your woman will get you that 15th child you have been hoping for. Clear the junk off the couch and invite her to snuggle up and read this sci-fi thriller with you. You will not be sorry.

Star NASCAR driver Gabby O'Farrell can't believe her mother is harping at her again. How many times does she have to say it? She's not going to help run the family's corporation. She's not shopping for a husband of the right pedigree. And there's no way she's ever going to give up racing!

Who cares what the other macho, hothead drivers are saying about her? Gabby knows team owner Vaughn Steiner has got her back. And since they started sharing kisses and strategy in equal measure, she's determined to go all the way…to win the coveted NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship.

But now that she's growing close to Vaughn's adorable daughter, is she ready for the mommy track, too?

You can find out more about this book here



Well, that’s all I have for this week. Tune in next time, when we look at the Nascar colostomy bag product line.

Toro Rosso: The Losing Formula

Oh.. the sky is falling for SeaBass. Toro Rosso let him test out the new STR3 this week, and he crashed it. Here are some quotes from the team afterwards:



"We don't have enough parts to get the car ready for tomorrow so we have to go home"
(Toro Rosso Spokeswoman)

"He simply went too fast."
(Team principal Franz Tost)

According to these guys, his career is falling quickly.

I came to a realization this morning as I read some of this. Toro Rosso, is one of the most incompetent teams in F1. A team principal who fears speed, and an organization which is incapable of preparing for the possibility that a prototype car could be damaged. Now I am sure that lack of finances is a contributing factor, but I have to wonder.. were they not planning on fielding two cars? Where is the other one? If SeaBass was going to fast, and the car couldn't handle it.. maybe the car just... I don't know... sucks? Hopefully the team gets sold to someone soon, so that the trained apes have to find bananas elsewhere.

Another thing that is starting to tarnish my respect for the series, is the lack of respect for SeaBass. Sure he is a rookie, and he is not a top driver right now. But he has out performed his team mate (who has been hyped as the better driver), scored points for the team, and in some cases out performed cars from the Red Bull team itself. Yet the second he crashes a prototype car during testing, it is a big deal. Apparently, the only way to gain respect in this league is to drive for a team with superior technology and financing. It reinforces my feelings that the secret to success in F1 is to be a mediocre driver with a poor attitude in the right place at the right time.

Honda: Start (Building) Your Engines...

Now that the unification has ensured that there will be plenty of team and driver entries in this year's Indy 500, the next challenge appears to be engine availability. Rumor has it that Honda will be capable of powering 39 cars for the 500, but will it be enough? Since the Indy 500 is a month long event consisting of thousands of test laps, Honda will need to produce a much larger number of engines. Add up the new teams, the fulltime teams running additional cars, the one offs, and the wrecks caused by Milka... Honda has its work cut out for it.

Honda Performance & Development currently re-badges engines produced by Ilmor Engineering Ltd and leases them out to each team. The IndyCar Series requires engine re-badging for a number of reasons. Stamping a big name on the engine serves the series as a marketing tool, allowing them to make the cars more familiar to fans. It also establishes some credibility for the series by preventing the usage of less reliable engines without forcing the league to go the spec series route.

The disadvantage is that good engine companies like Cosworth cannot participate without a big name partnership. Additionally, this rule combined with suffering league popularity has driven us to our current situation.. only one engine manufacturer. One could argue that things are just fine though. Since Honda does not have to compete with other manufacturers, they focus on reliability. And they have done a good job. When is the last time an engine exploded? (Ferrari take note..) Also, the series can control speeds equally on all cars by modifying the ECU. This task becomes trickier once more manufacturers become involved.

Personally, I would love to see more manufacturers enter the series. It would eliminate the possibility of engine shortages, it would fuel performance research, and it would add yet another interesting aspect to the series. That being said, I think the series should stick with the re-badge requirement. Now that the league is gaining popularity again, I think the big names will start getting involved. And when they do, I think companies like Cosworth will be the first place they call.

Conquest Engineers: Just Need Time

Crash.net recently interviewed Eric Zeto, the chief engineer for Conquest Racing. Now that they have had a small amount of time to work with the new equipment, he was able to provide some perspective on the challenges faced by the ‘transitional’ teams.

One item I found particularly interesting is that he made it clear that they are having little trouble working with the chassis. He stated that the older Lolas and the newer Panoz share many similarities to the Dallara, and the engineering teams seem to have no problem adapting.

Not to state the obvious, but he said the real challenge is going to be the ovals. This has very little to do with the experience level of the teams. He quickly reminded everyone that many of the team members were also part of CART back in the day, which ran ovals. The true hurdle is time. The existing teams know all of the tricks, the new ones don’t… yet..

I think the new teams will learn quickly, and hopefully the buddy system will help them get up to speed a little quicker. Either way, each oval race will provide hours of practice, qualifying, and race laps that these teams need. I know there has been much discussion about how many ovals to include next year, but keep in mind that these teams need the experience.

This Weekend Sucks

What a difference seven days can make. Just one week ago race fans around the globe were enjoying an amazing weekend of motorsport. There was ALMS and IndyCar in St. Petersburg; both exciting races all the way to the checkered flag. F1 and its ridiculous number of support series were in Bahrain for some great action. The European LeMans Series kicked off its season with a 1000km race in Catalunya, Spain. The World Touring Car Championship held two races in Mexico. In short, it was racing nirvana.

Okay, sure, this weekend we have A1GP and many regional series like the British Touring Car Championship but there is nothing that even comes close to the big events of last week. In fact, the only major races televised in the US (besides those taxi cabs driving around Phoenix) are the MotoGP races at Estoril. While I like two wheel action as much as the next guy, it just can't make up for the lackluster schedule we are stuck with. At least we can take solace in the fact that next weekend is chock full o' four wheel goodness. For now, I guess I'll go clean my gutters or something. Man, this sucks.

It's Official: F1 Drivers Are Total Babies

As a fan of various forms of motorsport, I've gotten used to drivers whining about almost everything. They whine about their cars, they whine about the track, they whine about the other drivers; it never seems to end. But this week the drivers of Formula One have decided to turn things up a notch.

First there was Lewis Hamilton shaking his fist at Force India driver, Giancarlo Fisichella, because the latter would not move aside in Sunday’s Grand Prix. At the time, both drivers were racing for position, so Fisichella had no reason to just let Lewis go by. Is Hamilton that much of a baby he expects everyone to move out of his way even when they have every right not to? Lewis, go change your diaper, it’s making you cranky.

Now, the most resent news of F1 infantilism comes from Grand Prix Drivers' Association director Mark Webber. It seems the drivers are not happy about the safety car rules that temporarily close the pits when a full course yellow is in effect. They feel this unfairly penalizes some drivers while rewarding others. Webber insists Heikki Kovalainen lost out on a certain podium finish in the Australian GP because his final stop was delayed when the pits where closed as the safety car went out on the track. According to Webber, "Heikki drove a good race in Melbourne and got nailed for it.”

Hmmm, you know what I call that? RACING! Well maybe we should just base the finish order on qualifying speeds? That would certainly eliminate anything “unfair” occurring during a race and affecting the results. Of course, even if we went so far as to do that the drivers would still find something else to whine about. They are total babies I tell you.

Rahals Rookies

Bobby Rahal took his first CART win in Cleveland - 1982. He went on to win the rookie of the year award and placed 2nd in the drivers championship that year, beating out Mario Andretti by 62 points and losing only to Rick Mears.

Graham is well on his way to matching his fathers first year success. With his win last weekend, he now leads EJ Viso by 8 points in the rookie standings, and is currently 4th in the drivers championship. But make no mistake; winning rookie of the year will be no easy task.

Drivers of interest (to me...)

- EJ Visio

Proved last weekend that he is no joke. The Venezuelan has raced in GP2 and Formula Renault, and has run practice sessions for the Spyker F1 team.

- Hideki Mutoh

AGR's new driver ran very fast during practice sessions last weekend. He seems to be having some trouble gettings started, but has the potential to be very fast.

- Justin Wilson

The towering ex-Minardi/Jaguar F1 driver has been bouncing between Champ Car teams in recent years, and now has landed with the N/H/L IndyCar team. He has his first oval race under his belt, which may prove to be an advantage over his teammate.

- Will Power

Will has done some testing in F1 and has competed in A1 GP. He proved that he does not fear the Dallara when he qualified for the #2 spot last weekend.

- Enrique Bernoldi, Franck Perera, Jay Howard, Mario Moraes

Everyone has a shot at this, except for these guys. But thanks for playing.


So there it is.. makes me think back to last years ROY race and laugh. No offense to Ryan Hunter Reay, in fact we should be thanking him for showing up and saving us from.. well you know who..

F1 Underdogs and Outcasts

Felipe Massa has silenced his critics for the time being. In atonement for his past mistakes this season, he won for the first time without pole position. No driver employed by Scuderia Ferrari will ever be considered an underdog, but an outcast he may be. Either way, the mild mannered ex-test driver would make a wonderful Cinderella story this year.

BMW Sauber is winning the constructors race. And it’s more than just the result of consistent performance. They have actually found some speed. I suspect that the next few races will determine if this is just a great start, or a new era for BMW. The stars do seem to be aligning for BMW right now, given that Renault seems to be steering clear of the fight at the moment. McLarens Ron Dennis doesn’t think it will last.

So Nick Heidfeld finds himself in 2nd for drivers points, 3 points behind Kimi and 2 points above Lewis. And Robert Kubica is tied with Lewis and Heikki at 14 points. Again I ask.. who needs that “Chase” crap..

Drivers Standings

UPDATE: It turns out that even Kimi is showing some concern over the BMW offensive.

Things Are Going To Be Alright…

You could see it on the faces of the drivers. Scott Dixon was all smiles during his interview, even though he had just retired his car. It was obvious that the drivers were having fun. Competition and challenging circumstances fuel these drivers. It gives them the rush they need, something they have been missing for the last 12 years.

Shortly after the race VoidXero was quick to remind me of past statements regarding Rahal’s level of talent. I am not convinced quite yet that he will dominate this league, but he has gained my respect through both his interviews and his performance today. Anyone who can recover from a spinout and manage to come back against that kind of field definitely has some talent.

Danica, surprised me as well today. I though for sure she was going to destroy her car, and likely someone else’s in the process. She did manage to spinout twice, but still pulled of a 10th place finish. Well done.

I noticed quite a few people on various forums were complaining about the start of the race. I for one thought it was handled well. It only made sense to mitigate the carnage by waiting until the standing water had been cleared away. I have seen plenty of other cases where races were held up for this very reason. Letting the clock run was also the right choice. I recall last year, having to listen to the end of a race on ESPN radio because they refused to continue televised coverage. I for one prefer to see the actual race. If you want to blame someone, blame ESPN.

I really enjoyed that race, and I hope it is a sign of things to come. The IndyCar series has proven in only two races that it can host an exciting race on both oval and road course. I for one don’t think any other series can claim that right now.

Congrats Graham and N/H/L for a well deserved win at St Petersburg.

Is This Kubica's Year to Break Through?

Less than one year from his horrific crash in Montreal, BMW's Robert Kubica made it clear on Saturday that he is not about to be held back. Finally establishing himself and his team as serious contenders, Kubica was able to fend off the best from Ferrari and McLaren to take Pole Position at the Bahrain Grand Prix. It is the first time in 22 consecutive races that someone driving something other than a "Prancing Pony" or a "Silver Arrow" has taken the top spot on the grid. Seems things in F1 are starting to get interesting again. Outside the crazy world of Nazi-themed S&M prostitute gang bangs that is.

Kaanan Punished: Whos Fault Was It?

So the IRL handed out a 30 minute penalty for the 7-11 misbehavior last week at Homestead. There is quite a bit of chatter lately about the incident, and rightly so. Let me begin by saying that I do indeed feel that the punishment was light. Ignoring race control orders (especially at that point in the race) is absolutely wrong.

But a couple things do concern me. According to Christopher Estrada at MVN, George Cloats of AGR hinted that the orders from race control had not been passed down to Tony. Tony himself said in an article on Indy Star:

"I followed my team orders and stayed out to see what would happen. If the IRL had wanted to pull me in, they had plenty of time to do so."

If this is true, then AGR took the gamble, not TK. And I have to wonder if its AGR who should be punished directly, and not a driver who was just doing what he was told.

If at some point it surfaces that he chose to ignore the orders, so be it. But has that actually been proven?

Bahrain GP Practice Session 2: Hamilton Crashes, SeaBass Runs Well

It appears that lady luck has struck Ferrari, for the moment. Kimi Raikkonen managed to post fastest lap immediately after Lewis Hamilton lost control of his car. The crash resulted in significant damage to the car, but Hamilton is ok.

BMW’s Robert Kubica posted the 5th fastest time, directly below the McLaren and Ferrari teams. Once again raising the question: Will BMW make a run this year? According to Ralf Shumacher, BMW is going to win it this year, although his brother disagrees.

SeaBass posted 9th fastest, out running his teammate by more than a second. He also managed to top Alonso, Webber, and Heidfeld to name a few. Someone needs to give that guy a real car (ok… ok.. I’ll stop.)

Update: Check out the after practice driver quotes here

IRL Mimics Formula One Qualifying

Does the IRL have a thing for F1? First they added podium ceremonies after the races (well, some races anyway). Now comes word that the IRL is going to use F1-style qualifying for its street and road courses. Starting with this weekend's race in St. Petersburg, the IndyCar Series will switch to a multi-round knock-out qualifying format. What next? Perrier sponsoring cars? Gay horses?

For those that find this kind of thing un-American, take heart that all oval races will continue to use single car, four lap qualifying. Yee-haw!

Marco Andretti - Was Not Having Fun

"My dad and I had a talk last year and he could tell I wasn't having fun. I think you could tell that my results got better when I was able to enjoy it a little bit more."

- Marco Andretti

US Top Gear - Leno Out

Leno says he is not going to host the US Version of Top Gear. Why?

"In my mind I can just see Jeremy lambasting Americans for what they did to his show. So I think: I've got to run away from this as quickly as I can," - Jay Leno

Footage Of Next Generation Nascar

We may find ourselves with a lawsuit for this one, but we can't keep this to ourselves. One of our writers accidently stumbled across this testing footage of the new “Car Of The Future” in an old barn somewhere in Alabama. Rumor has it that they actually run on moonshine.

Boogity Boogity... lets go mowing boys....

Villeneuve Returns to Bahrain GP... in a Stock Car?

Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has signed on to drive in the Speedcar Series and will make his debut this weekend in a support race for the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. The Speedcar Series features several retired F1 stars driving stock cars very much like the ones Villeneuve drove (briefly) in NASCAR. I guess he just can't get enough of those big pushrod V8s.