Race Weekend Central

Pace Laps: Kahne In, Harvick Cruises, IndyCar Adieu, and More

2014 Atlanta Cup Kasey Kahne Victory Credit Cia

Kasey Kahne stepped up in a big way late in Sunday's Cup race. (Credit: CIA)

Cup: Sweet Relief for Kahne          By racing for the Cup juggernaut Hendrick Motorsports, there are high expectations for Kasey Kahne.  That his brethren at the organization have all earned three wins apiece makes his season look all the worse.  In fact, with only two top-5 finishes in 2014, Kahne was looking like …

Read more

IndyCar MAVTV 500:Will Power Clinches First Championship

2014 Indycar Auto Club Will Power Trophy Kiss Credit Huston Ladner

The MAV TV 500 from Auto Club Speedway In a Nutshell: For the ninth consecutive year, the last race of the season determined the IndyCar champion.  This time, Will Power, three times a runner-up, hoisted the Astor Cup by finishing ninth.  Tony Kanaan held strong all night, seemingly in the top five the whole event, …

Read more

Castroneves earns Pole, Power 21st; Other Post-Qualifying Thoughts

2014 Indycar Toronto 2 Power Castroneves

The qualifying session for the IndyCar series race at Auto Club Speedway took place in the heavy heat in the middle of the day in Fontana, California.  Helio Castroneves, going out last, earned the pole position with an average of 218.640 mph.  The track temperature during the session hovered around 136 degrees. Qualifying was based …

Read more

Happiness Is… Denny Hamlin, the Schedule & Tony Stewart’s Return

2014 Bristol Ii Cup Denny Hamlin Damage Cia

(Credit: CIA Stock Photography)

The schedule came out this past week and it gave everyone who follows NASCAR something to gripe about.  In truth, all the criticisms are valid because NASCAR, due to the way the business is run, is unable to make serious changes that would make people feel happy, though that can be a moving target. The …

Read more

Open Wheel Wednesday: Thoughts On The IndyCar Finale

2014 Indycar Sonoma Dion Franchitti Credit Linn Ladner

The Verizon IndyCar championship will be decided this weekend.  The race, being held at Auto Club Speedway, on Saturday night, is likely to be captivating, with a battle down to the end between Penske teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves.  Should they both find a banana peel on the racetrack, Simon Pagenaud is lurking, sitting …

Read more

IndyCar Recap: GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma

2014 Indycar Sonoma Scott Dixon Trophy

The GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma started under rather inauspicious circumstances, as a massive earthquake nailed the Napa/Sonoma area around 6 am.  The IndyCar series let it be known that the event would go on as scheduled.  Hence, as the on-track festivities began, with the IndyLights race and the air show, one would never know …

Read more

Happiness Is… Bristol, the Pole & Another Soap Opera

2014 Indycar Milwaukee Parade Laps

Photo Credit: IndyCar

So, let’s rewind for a moment and go back to Michigan. OK, that may not be the best way to put it, as most fans are happy to put Michigan in the rear-view mirror and look toward Bristol, where the hope is that the track might restore some of its past flavor and produce some …

Read more

Open Wheel Wednesday: Is Will Power the un-likable Favorite?

2014 Indycar Milwaukee Will Power Woohoo

Will Power is entering this weekend's race at Sonoma fresh off a victory at the Milwaukee Mile.

Will Power somehow extended his lead from four points to 39 over Helio Castroneves at Milwaukee.  Somehow?  Well, Power has frequently struggled when racing on oval tracks, something he has frequently admitted.  At the Milwaukee Mile, however, he displayed a rare sense of calm and confidence, earning the pole and then leading for much of …

Read more

Pace Laps: Jimmie Johnson Success, First Time Nationwide Winners and Powers’ Power

2014 Michigan Ii Cup Jimmie Johnson Car Cia

Sprint Cup: A normal race at Michigan for Jimmie Johnson usually means that he runs out of fuel in the final laps after leading for most of the day and having the best car.  Johnson, however, did the other Jimmie Johnson thing at Michigan.  That usually means falling way back in the field and then seemingly arriving …

Read more

Happiness Is… Napping, the Fight for the Chase & Cheese and Beer

2014 Watkins Glen Cup Tony Stewart Phone Cia

Ugh. Yep, that’s the best opener that Happiness Is could deliver to start the column. The tenor of the past week has been deflating.  The Tony Stewart–Kevin Ward, Jr. incident has loomed large over auto racing, finding itself a continual headline in the news outlets.  Even Yahoo had coverage of Ward’s funeral on its homepage …

Read more

IndyCar Preview: ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest

2014 Indycar Iowa Ryan Hunter Reay

It’s the beginning of the end. After a weekend off, the IndyCar Series is primed to resume – and in doing so will bang out three weeks of rather varied kinds of racing.  When looking at the schedule and some of its silliness (double race weekends, double points for select races), it’s easy to question …

Read more

Pace Laps: Settling Safety, Farewells At Watkins Glen

2014 Indianapolis Cup Marcos Ambrose Cia

Sprint Cup: Watkins Glen Odds & Ends – One of the things that makes Formula One racing successful is the commitment the series expects from its viewing constituency.  Races typically conclude in a two-hour window, and when it seems that might not be the case, due to weather, an accident, or some other issue, F1 switches …

Read more