Race Weekend Central

Open-Wheel Wednesday: Juan Pablo Montoya is Back

Indycar 2015 St. Pete Juan Pablo Montoya Victory Lane Credit Chris Jones

Photo Credit: Chris Jones

A quick note before getting into any kind of discussion about the season opening IndyCar race. While this column may attempt to bring some humor to the sport, I recognize first that a woman attending the race suffered injuries from debris from one of the cars. The reports are that Brigitte Hofstetter is in stable …

Read more

IndyCar Recap: 2015 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Indycar 2015 St. Pete Juan Pablo Montoya And Team Victory Lane Credit Chris Jones

Photo Credit: Chris Jones

In a Nutshell: Team Penske teammates Juan Pablo Montoya and Will Power fought hammer and tong for the lead all race long, with Montoya edging the defending champ out to win courtesy of a great pit stop with 27 laps to go. Key Moment:  Power had a comfortable lead over Montoya before the final round of …

Read more

IndyCar Preview: 2015 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

2014 Indycar Milwaukee Will Power Drama

It seems like it has been quite some time since the IndyCar Series was ripping around the track. Oh, that’s right, it has. The end of the 2014 season came on Aug. 30, which means that nearly seven months have passed since it ran competitive laps. Sure, they’ve been testing, but that’s quite the layoff. …

Read more

2014 IndyCar Driver Reviews

2014 Indycar Toronto 2 Conway Woohoo

Mike Conway and Ed Carpenter Racing have hit on something special this season.

Marco Andretti Team: Andretti Autosport Sponsor: Snapple Rank: 9th Wins: 0 Top 5s: 2 Top 10s: 2 One can’t help but feel like the 2014 season was something of a lost year for Marco Andretti and the #25 team. Much like in 2013, the team started off strong and was high in the series standings …

Read more

Open Wheel Wednesday: Andretti Amiss, Ganassi Strong, Power Prevails

2014 Indycar Auto Club Will Power Roger Penske Aussie Flag

Matt:  So, just to start off, can we all agree that Fontana in its current state is pretty much the perfect IndyCar track? Toni:  I certainly agree. I think it’s such a great way to end the season too. A great 500-mile event. Huston:  Interesting way to begin…but yes, the match between the cars and …

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

IndyCar Preview: MAVTV 500

2014 Indycar Milwaukee Will Power Roger Penske Congrats

What’s News? What else? This is it, the end of the season, so it’s time to decide the championship! The Verizon IndyCar Series seems to have a knack for making it come down to the final race of the season as this is the ninth year in a row that’s been the case. As our …

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

Did You Notice? … NASCAR Talent: Then And Now

2014 Pocono Ii Cup Ricky Stenhouse Jr Helmet Cia

Credit: CIA Editorial Photography

Did You Notice? … How hard it is to gain a foothold in this sport? More than ever, talented drivers find themselves inside a shrinking window of opportunity. The number of available rides has shrunk, combined with the funding now necessary to pair them within a top-tier organization. Having cash on hand and helping bridge …

Read more

Increased TV Ratings Finally Match INDYCAR’s Momentum

2014 Indycar Toronto 1 Bourdais Leading

Anyone who reads my contributions to this column on a regular basis knows that I am something of a pessimist when it comes to the world of IndyCar racing. As much as I do love this sport, I have never been afraid to point out the multitude of flaws and missteps that the leaders of …

Read more

Four Burning Questions at the Brickyard: The Drive for Five and an IndyCar Ringer

2014 Loudon I Cup Jimmie Johnson Garage Cia

(Photo: CIA Stock Photography, Inc. ©2014)

Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Simply reading those three words in succession should incite a fit of shivers up the spine of any race fan worth his/her salt. NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series will invade the historic facility today for the 21st annual Brickyard 400. It seems wild to think that Indianapolis has been on the schedule for …

Read more