| August 2011 |
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| RACE NEWS & VIEWS |
Latest news is at the bottom
Justin Wilson Injured
Aug 5 - IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, was involved in a single-car incident in morning's practice for the Honda Indy 200. The Dreyer & Reinbold
Racing driver has an anterior compression fracture of the fifth vertebra.
Simon Pagenaud will substitute for Wilson for the race. The Frenchman filled in for the team earlier in the year at Barber Motorsports Park.
Aug 5 - IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, was involved in a single-car incident in morning's practice for the Honda Indy 200. The Dreyer & Reinbold
Racing driver has an anterior compression fracture of the fifth vertebra.
Simon Pagenaud will substitute for Wilson for the race. The Frenchman filled in for the team earlier in the year at Barber Motorsports Park.
Fortunately, he tested at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last week, which helped
in his qualifying effort today. With each session the Frenchman continued to
knock time off his lap times. HE will start 19th.
UPDATE
Aug 9 - Wilson was released from the hospital. Wilson has a stable burst
fracture of the T5 with no spinal cord injury. He will be treated with bracing
and serial x-rays. Wilson will be unable to drive for a minimum of three months.
Tomas Scheckter will substitute for Wilson this weekend. Scheckter came
on board with DRR in 2009 competing at ten races for the team. He earned
three top-ten finishes (6th- Iowa, 8th - Chicago, 9th- Miami). He ran with DRR
last year for four events, including the Indianapolis 500.
in his qualifying effort today. With each session the Frenchman continued to
knock time off his lap times. HE will start 19th.
UPDATE
Aug 9 - Wilson was released from the hospital. Wilson has a stable burst
fracture of the T5 with no spinal cord injury. He will be treated with bracing
and serial x-rays. Wilson will be unable to drive for a minimum of three months.
Tomas Scheckter will substitute for Wilson this weekend. Scheckter came
on board with DRR in 2009 competing at ten races for the team. He earned
three top-ten finishes (6th- Iowa, 8th - Chicago, 9th- Miami). He ran with DRR
last year for four events, including the Indianapolis 500.
IndyCar Crash Fest In New Hampshire
Aug 14 - I was hopeful that IndyCar could return to New Hampshire
and put on an exciting show after the IRL was booted out in the 90s
due to lack of interest.
A decent crowd showed up (~30,000) and witnessed an
embarrassing amateur affair from spin outs on the first lap to a
screwed up, rain-shortened finish.
While points leader Dario Franchitti got taken out during a restart
by Takuma Sato, it was 2nd place Will Power who showed the
most anger after the final restart that saw him also taken out.
Luckily for Power, the race was called and the restart was aborted
and the race finishing order went back to how it was before the
restart, which put Power in 5th. Unfortunately for Power, he reacted
before this was announced and he jumped from his car and threw a
fit which will likely cost him some money in fines.
Ryan Hunter-Reay was made the winner.
Aug 14 - I was hopeful that IndyCar could return to New Hampshire
and put on an exciting show after the IRL was booted out in the 90s
due to lack of interest.
A decent crowd showed up (~30,000) and witnessed an
embarrassing amateur affair from spin outs on the first lap to a
screwed up, rain-shortened finish.
While points leader Dario Franchitti got taken out during a restart
by Takuma Sato, it was 2nd place Will Power who showed the
most anger after the final restart that saw him also taken out.
Luckily for Power, the race was called and the restart was aborted
and the race finishing order went back to how it was before the
restart, which put Power in 5th. Unfortunately for Power, he reacted
before this was announced and he jumped from his car and threw a
fit which will likely cost him some money in fines.
Ryan Hunter-Reay was made the winner.
Will Power didn't exercise
much will power over his
anger with race control
Sunday.
much will power over his
anger with race control
Sunday.
Tony Kanaan Survived Upside Down
| Sato Took Out Leader Franchitti During Restart |
Sonoma Good to Team Penske
Aug 28 - At the track where passing is nearly impossible,
Team Penske turned its 1-2-3 in qualifying into a sweep of
the podium during Sunday's 75-lap Indy Grand Prix of
Sonoma.
Will Power, needing to claw back as many points as
possible from championship leader Dario Franchitti, banked
extra points for pole and leading the most laps on the way to
a dominant victory where he led every lap except for the time
spent in the pits.
It also marked Team Penske's first 1-2-3 since Nazareth in
1994 where Paul Tracy, Al Unser Jr and Emerson
Fittipaldi also dominated, putting four laps on the field.
Helio Castroneves found his mojo in Sonoma, coming
home 3.2 seconds behind Power, with Ryan Briscoe
finishing in third.
Ganassi's Franchitti and Scott Dixon finished 4th & 5th.
Behind Dixon--at least for a few minutes after the checkered
flag waved--Dreyer & Reinbold's Giorgio Pantano was
credited with an impressive sixth-place finish.
The Italian made the most of his opportunity as Justin
Wilson's replacement at Sonoma and charged forward from
his 11th starting spot, but a contentious pass on Sebastien
Bourdais in Turn 11 on the final lap was met with a penalty
by Race Control.
Pantano's pass of Bourdais was followed by a blatant block
into Turn 11 on the final lap, which INDYCAR deemed as too
Aug 28 - At the track where passing is nearly impossible,
Team Penske turned its 1-2-3 in qualifying into a sweep of
the podium during Sunday's 75-lap Indy Grand Prix of
Sonoma.
Will Power, needing to claw back as many points as
possible from championship leader Dario Franchitti, banked
extra points for pole and leading the most laps on the way to
a dominant victory where he led every lap except for the time
spent in the pits.
It also marked Team Penske's first 1-2-3 since Nazareth in
1994 where Paul Tracy, Al Unser Jr and Emerson
Fittipaldi also dominated, putting four laps on the field.
Helio Castroneves found his mojo in Sonoma, coming
home 3.2 seconds behind Power, with Ryan Briscoe
finishing in third.
Ganassi's Franchitti and Scott Dixon finished 4th & 5th.
Behind Dixon--at least for a few minutes after the checkered
flag waved--Dreyer & Reinbold's Giorgio Pantano was
credited with an impressive sixth-place finish.
The Italian made the most of his opportunity as Justin
Wilson's replacement at Sonoma and charged forward from
his 11th starting spot, but a contentious pass on Sebastien
Bourdais in Turn 11 on the final lap was met with a penalty
by Race Control.
Pantano's pass of Bourdais was followed by a blatant block
into Turn 11 on the final lap, which INDYCAR deemed as too
severe to go unpunished. He would be moved to 17th, the
final position on the lead lap.
With Bourdais credited with sixth, the Frenchman earned his
third sixth-place result of the season.
"Giorgio Pantano blocked me at the end," he said. "I was
going to dive in and he just blocked me. He pushed me over
the rumble strip to finish the job. The team had good pit
stops. It wasn't the fastest car, but we're making progress."
final position on the lead lap.
With Bourdais credited with sixth, the Frenchman earned his
third sixth-place result of the season.
"Giorgio Pantano blocked me at the end," he said. "I was
going to dive in and he just blocked me. He pushed me over
the rumble strip to finish the job. The team had good pit
stops. It wasn't the fastest car, but we're making progress."
Good-bye Danica
Aug 25 - Andretti Autosport and Danica Patrick announced
today that they have a mutual agreement to part ways at the
conclusion of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series.
Patrick, who has driven for Andretti Autosport since 2007, will
switch full-time to NASCAR in 2012.
Patrick became the first female driver to win a major
open-wheel event in April, 2008 when she drove the No. 7
Andretti Autosport car to victory at the Twin Ring Motegi oval
track in Japan. In addition, she recorded 16 top-five finishes
and 45 top-tens in her five years at Andretti Autosport. She
placed fifth in the 2009 final IZOD IndyCar Series point
standings.
Sponsor Go Daddy will be staying on the side of an Andretti
IndyCar.
I think we've seen the best that she could do, followed by a
decline in the last year or two. I think now is a good time for
her to leave before she falls behind any further. Besides,
there are some talented up and coming females stars in
IndyCar now.
Aug 25 - Andretti Autosport and Danica Patrick announced
today that they have a mutual agreement to part ways at the
conclusion of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series.
Patrick, who has driven for Andretti Autosport since 2007, will
switch full-time to NASCAR in 2012.
Patrick became the first female driver to win a major
open-wheel event in April, 2008 when she drove the No. 7
Andretti Autosport car to victory at the Twin Ring Motegi oval
track in Japan. In addition, she recorded 16 top-five finishes
and 45 top-tens in her five years at Andretti Autosport. She
placed fifth in the 2009 final IZOD IndyCar Series point
standings.
Sponsor Go Daddy will be staying on the side of an Andretti
IndyCar.
I think we've seen the best that she could do, followed by a
decline in the last year or two. I think now is a good time for
her to leave before she falls behind any further. Besides,
there are some talented up and coming females stars in
IndyCar now.
