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Page Index:
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January 2005
Qualifying:
OTHER 2005 IRL RULE CHANGES FOR ALL VENUES:
Change to Trackside Fuel Tank Volume
The race, which will be the third of 17 events on the 2005 IndyCar® Series schedule, will mark the first-ever IndyCar Series race run on a non-oval track. The race is owned and promoted by Andretti Green Promotions, LLC. Led by Barry Green, who will serve as the managing director of the event, Andretti Green Promotions, LLC is focused on continuing the steady growth and increasing popularity of the IndyCar Series as it makes its debut into street racing.
Three IRL teams are apparently using the Panoz chassis this year: Chip Ganassi Target Racing, Super Aguri Fernandez Racing, and Rahal Letterman Racing which used the car to win the Indy 500 last year.
Buddy Rice (IRL) Helio Castroneves (IRL) Matt Kenseth (Nascar) Kurt Busch (Nascar) Mark Martin (Nascar) Sebastien Bourdais (Champ Car) Steve Kinser (WoO) Danny Lasoski (WoO) Bobby Hamilton (Craftsman Truck) Max Papis (Grand American Road Racing) Scott Pruett (Grand American Road Racing) Martin Truex Jr. (Busch) Nine of the 12 drivers in this year's IROC field have raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The new BAR 007 has a unique front wing which dips below the nose, almost touching the ground.
Toyota's 3rd attempt - the TF105
Sauber's C24 - We'll see Jacques Villeneuve driving one of these.
Here is a recent photo of Mark Webber. I hope this isn't the new Williams BMW.
Enge is a 28 y/o from the Czech Republic. In 1996 Enge won the German Formula Ford Championship and the following year competed with the Opel BSR team in the German Formula 3 Championship. In 1999 he made his debut in Sports Cars competing at Sebring and Road Atlanta in a Rafanelli Riley & Scott prototype. 2000 saw Enge break into F1 when he became a test driver for Jordan. He competed in 3 F1 races in 2001. He raced in F3000 in 2001 and 2002 where he finished 3rd both times. There was a controversy in 2002 at the Hungaroring over some drug test that he didn't pass. None the less, he won the race. In 2003 he won the GTS class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peter Kox and Prodrive Ferrari.
Briscoe is a product of the Toyota Driver Academy and won the 2001 Italian Formula Renault championship with five victories and six poles in 10 races. In 2002, in addition as a test driver for the Toyota Formula 1 team, Briscoe competed in the German F-3 championship and the F-3000 championship. In 2003, the young Australian dominated the Formula 3 Euroseries with eight victories. His entire 2004 season was spent devoted to the Formula 1 test role for Toyota. Ganassi had originally hired Tony Renna as their third driver, but he was killed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway testing on his first day of work.
Oklahoma Chili Bowl Midget Nationals:
Wednesday Night Qualifiers:
Thursday Night Qualifiers:
Friday Night Qualifiers: There are 257 entries this year from 27 States plus Oz and New Zealand. Also competing is Kasey Kahne, WoO RunnerUp Danny Lasoski, USAC Sprint Car champion Jay Drake, 2-time Chili winners Dan Boorse and Cory Kruseman, New Zealand phenom Michael Pickens, USAC Midget champion Bobby East, USAC/CRA champion Rip Williams, Dave Darland, and two-time National Midget Driver of the Year Aaron Fike.
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February 2005
Note: Penske driver Sam Hornish, Jr. is suffering from tendonitis in his right wrist.
The Red Bull RB-1:
The Renault R24:
(There are more pictures of the new F1 cars scattered further down this page.)
George announced today the formation of his own race team. He is buying Kelley Racing and renaming the team Vision Racing. He has hired Larry Curry as team manager and his step-son Ed Carpenter as driver. His team will also participate in the Infiniti Pro Series with Jay Drake, the 2004 USAC National sprint car champ, behind the wheel. As I've stated before, I don't think a race series should be ran by team owners or you end up with the mess that was CART. Of course George is no longer the president of the IRL, but he's still president of IMS. He says though that he is not going to be involved in running the team, but just try to find them a sponsor. Since a 1-car team doesn't pose much competition to the big teams, I don't think we'll hear other team owners complaining of unfair advantages for Vision Racing - too much. I imagine of formost concern for George is that he is providing his son with a means to race. Secondly, the IRL needs all the cars they can get. I think however that these 3 and 4-car teams have too much of an advantage. The IRL would have a fairer distribution of money if there were a rule limiting a maximum of 2 cars per team. Of course if all teams ran 4 cars, that would be fair and we'd have a higher car count as well.
This 29-year-old former mechanic and motorsports journalist from St. Louis won the 1996 Bridgestone Racing School Mechanics Championship. He then moved up to FF1600 and, with backing from Gerald Forsythe, he moved into the FF2000 ranks in 2001. He moved to the Infiniti Pro Series in 2003 where he drove for two different teams. Hemelgarn Racing won the first "IRL" Indy 500 in 1996 with Buddy Lazier.
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March 2005
Schmidt's team is the defending champion of the Infiniti Pro Series, having won six races and nine poles in 2004. Hearn, 34, finished third in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and was sixth in 2002 in a Schmidt car. This will be his sixth Indy start and his fourth consecutive start with Schmidt.
With roots firmly planted in bands such as the Faces, Aerosmith, and early Stones, the Black Crowes have steadfastly retained their blues-based sound, despite the fact that many of their contemporaries are adopting a more sonic approach. Critics may find fault with the band’s outrageous public behavior, but it has always guaranteed them plenty of headlines. Quite fearlessly, the band (Chris Robinson, vocals; brother Rich Robinson, guitars, vocals; Steve Gorman, drums; Eddie Harsh, keyboards; Sven Pipien, bass; Audley Freed, guitars while touring) has openly supported the pro-marijuana organization, NORML. As singer Chris Robinson puts it: “Some guys know how to party, and some just don’t!” Whatever. These guys are has-beens. I would have chosen Jet to play at Carb Day if I were Tony. I guess Tony's getting old. Carb Day this year is on a Friday, May 27th. The concert is free to all the people who attend Carb Day. This is the last day the racers will be practicing on the track before the race. After practice there is the pit-stop competition, followed by the concert (around 4 p.m.)
Mo Nunn Racing is hiring Adrian Fernandez to race in the Indy 500. Fernandez owns an IRL team, but he isn't racing since he lost his personal Mexican sponsers. Instead, Scott Sharp and Kosuke Matsuura are racing for his team. Has a team owner ever competed against his own team for another team before?!
It appears Jean better behave!
The hippies are the fastest in Formula One!
Barrichello gave up near the end as he felt his tires were about wore out. It's too bad they cannot change tires now. It's part of the plan to slow the cars to make them safer. But how safe is it when the driver has to decide to drop out of the race because his tires have deteriorated to the point that it is scaring him? Giancarlo Fisichella slid up into Mark Webber as Webber passed him. His tires tangled and he got jerked around pretty good and almost flipped over. Otherwise Renault is looking strong this year.
[The track was paved with 3.2 million bricks in 1909. Most of the bricks, except the middle portion of the main straightaway, were paved over with asphalt by 1939. In 1961, the main straightaway was finally paved with asphalt, and the "Yard of Bricks" tribute was established.]
Some interesting comments were made by FIA chief Max Mosley. He claimed Stoddart was naive and was being used by rival team bosses. My, my. Those Europeans are some cut-throat son of a guns.
That is what the IRL announced today. I suppose the Ethanol industry will be playing some type of sponsorship role. They say there will be no performance difference. I say, then why only use 10% Ethanol?! Ethanol probably does make sense though since its cleaner and helps save our fossil fuel supplies. I probably can't tell too much of a difference unless I'm at the track running quarter miles - and then I try to use 110 octane race gas anyway. Meanwhile, Nascar is still using 110 octage LEADED gasoline even though some extreme environmentalist, including the Clean Air Trust, have been complaining. While leaded gas was phased out in the U.S. during the 70's and 80's, Congress exempted the aviation and racing industries from the lead ban in 1990.
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April 2005
A former Ferrari physician claimed this winter that there was rampant cocaine use amongst F1 drivers. The FIA suddenly chose some "random" drivers to test yesterday after practice at San Marino. They chose Jacques Villeneuve (Sauber), Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella (both Reneault). I'd like to know why they didn't choose Schumacher and Barrichello from the Ferrari team if its the Ferrari physician stirring up the gossip. What's with this idea of "random"? Why not test all the drivers, it's not like there are 10,000 drivers; only 20.
In Junqueira's rookie event in 2001 he started 20th and finished fifth. He won the pole position in 2002, led the first 32 laps but retired in 31st place with engine failure. Last year in his first Indy 500 with Newman/Haas Racing he qualified fourth despite limited practice time, led 16 laps and finished fifth. The 2004 event marked the first time for Newman/Haas Racing to have competed in the Indy 500 since 1995.
Why not let Honda, who keeps winning the Indy 500, supply pace cars one year? They should allow Toyota a chance. Might as well let their cooler brothers in too - Acura and Lexus. Might even consider Infiniti and Nissan since the junior series are powered by Infinitis. Personally I don't buy foreign cars, but I think it is only fair to allow the companys that suppply the engines and sponsor some of the races, to get some of that special Indy 500 advertising. I would like more variety in the pace cars too. I have no clue how IMS chooses their pace car drivers. This year the honor goes to General Colin Powell. My nieces were wishing for Van Diesel.
The hippies are still reigning in Formula One. Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli repeated their last performance at the Bahrain GP Sunday by finishing 1-2 respectively. Michael Schumacher debuting his new Ferrari but fell out of the race after 12 laps.
Ok, the above was a April Fools joke. But now that I've thought about it I think the smartest thing Tony George could do right now is to hire Jeff Gordon full-time as a driver for his new team. I don't care how much money it takes, it is a sure way to get a whole lot of people checking out the IRL!
"We are going to do a few days of oval testing to try to get our program sorted out, and since the other two road course events aren't until later in the year, hopefully we'll have some time to get our road course car put together and tested before then," Dana said. "I started out in road racing up in Canada so I'm really excited that the series is going in this direction. It's frustrating to have to sit out one of the early events, but we've gotten such a late start to the season we've got to pick our battles a little bit."
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Non-IRL MAY 2005
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2005 Indy 500 News
Dan Wheldon - 2005 Indy 500 Winner! Some Celebrities at the track were the Teutles from American Chopper, Cheech Marin, Deborah Norville, Patrick Dempsey, rock band Fuel, Richard Karn, Montel Williams, Kate Linder, Wynonna Judd, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Brandon Stokely and actor Russell Crowe. Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller threw the green flag. He has played for only one pro team his entire 18-year NBA career and just retired this month.
Lap by Lap...
Tony Kanaan has led at least one lap in each of his first four Indianapolis 500 starts (2002-05). He joins Parnelli Jones (1961-64) and Jim Clark (1963-66) as the only drivers to lead a lap in each of their first four Indy starts. Danica Patrick’s fourth-place finish is the best ever by a woman in the Indianapolis 500. The previous-best finish by a woman was ninth by Janet Guthrie in 1978. She is also the first to ever finish the race on the lead lap. Sam Hornish Jr. led 77 laps, more than any other driver in the race, but only finished in 26th place. Bruno Junqueira suffered a concussion and fractures of the T-12 and L-1 vertebras. He was operated on Monday. Larry Foyt suffered a chip fracture of the lower spine. There were 27 lead changes among seven drivers, tying for the most with 1960 and 1923 which also had 27.
89th Indy 500 Finishing Order
Arie Luyendyk Jr. could not pass his Rookie Orientation due to mechanical problems. He will be given another chance tomorrow morning.
Jimmy Kite is trying to fill in for Paul Dana. Kite is racing the Nascar Truck series and is flying back and forth for that. 1999 Indy 500 champion Kenny Brack is back! He's going to fill in for Buddy Rice who was injured last week. Buddy Rice's will have to wait until next year to run the Indianapolis 500. Doctors have identified a problem with a spinal ligament that was torn during his hard crash in practice. Rice will need three weeks of rest. Also, Arie Luyendyk Jr. was named as the driver of the CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports ride. Now he needs to pass his rookie orientation.
Ryan Briscoe spun and hit the wall backwards and almost flipped over. Apparently he is ok. NASCAR's Casey Mears showed up after racing at Richmond last night. While Danika Patrick had the fastest laps today (over 229 mph), Tony Kanaan captured the pole position (and a $100,000) with a average 4-lap speed of 227.566 mph. The Brazilian drivers for Andretti-Green Racing. This is Kanaan's 6th Indy 500. Helio Castroneves had been qualified on the front row, but went back out in the last 10 minutes of the session in an attempt to capture pole. He ended up going slower and got slotted back to the 2nd row, moving Scott Sharp up to the first row and Danika to the inside of row 2. Sam Hornish, Jr. is also on the front row. 22 drivers were allowed to qualify today and Jaques Lazier, Patrick Carpentier were bumped off. They will try to qualify next weekend with others who did not make attempts today, including both A.J. Foyt cars and 2004 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice.
Paul Dana again spun in turn two and hit the wall. Dana was awake and alert when he was transported to Methodist Hospital where he was listed in good condition after sustaining a spinal fracture and concussion.
Sam Hornish, Jr. hit Dana's debris launching him up into the air where he did a end over end flip! Luckily Sam is ok, but he has a sore knee.
Tomas Schecker posted the fastest speed today at 227.804 mph. Scott Sharp drew to go first in qualifying tomorrow. Sam Hornish, Jr will be second.
Buddy Rice is the first person to wreck at the Speedway during 500 practice. He was the first last year too, and then went on to win the race! He spun and hit the turn 2 wall backwards very hard today. He got up and walked away. He complained of back and neck pain and went to the hospital. He has no broken bones, but he does have a concussion. His team-owner, Bobby Rahal, said that the safer barrier that IMS employs definately helped spare Rice further injury. He will miss the first weekend of qualifying, but hopefully be back the following week.
Sebastien Bourdais with Newman Haas completed his rookie test. Scott Mayer with Foyt passed 3 of 4 phases and can finish tomorrow. Jeff Ward with Vision completed his refresher. Neither Larry Foyt nor Jeff Bucknum made it off pit road. Bucknum's dad won the 1970 Michigan Champ Car race. I asked Arie Luyendyk if he would race in the 500 this year and he said no. 34 drivers have submitted to physicals and passed them in order to be able to begin practicing tomorrow afternoon.
DRIVERS WHO PASSED ROOKIE TEST: Paul Dana with Hemelgarn, Tomas Enge with Panther, Ryan Briscoe with Ganassi, Patrick Carpentier with Cheever, Danica Patrick with Rahal.
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JUNE 2005
Toyota began competing in Indycar just two years ago, in 2003. That first year they found much success against Chevrolet, winning the manufacturer's championship as well as the Indy 500 in their first attempt! But then Honda came along and have been pushing Toyota around ever since. Toyota has been pushing its way into the Nascar Truck series. Perhaps they're gearing up for a run at the Nextel Cup stock car series.
The 40 main Nextel Cup drivers average 174.2 pounds, from Jason Leffler (130) to Mike Wallace (220). The 25 IRL drivers average 148.4, from Danica Patrick (100) to Sam Hornish Jr. and Ed Carpenter (165).
The boys from Orange County Choppers joined in on the pace lap! Gene Simmons from KISS was at the race and announced the drivers.
"She's usually more trouble when she's ahead of me by the looks of Indy," Scheckter said jokingly after earning his third Texas pole. "She should be fine...I've got no problem racing with her." This is Scheckter's 3rd pole at Texas - in a row! Patrick had a qualifying lap of 212.661 mph on the 1 1/2-mile, high-banked Texas track, where she had never driven before two practice sessions earlier in the day. Patrick will take the green flag ahead of both her Rahal Letterman teammates. Vitor Meira qualified fifth and Buddy Rice was seventh.
Instead of Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon, Sports Illustrated made Patrick the first Indy driver on the magazine's cover in 20 years. "If I owned Sports Illustrated, you've got 33 drivers in the Indianapolis 500, and one's female and hot, why wouldn't you put her on the front page?" Wheldon said. "You'd be stupid not to." Two-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves wore one of Patrick's T-shirts at an autograph session this week in Texas, where some fans waited in line more than 10 hours for her signature. And Patrick's image is being painted on an 800-squre-foot mural over the marquee outside of Texas Motor Speedway, and hanging more than 50 feet above the ground along busy Interstate 35. "The biggest thing for me is the self-satisfaction of winning the race," Wheldon said. "I don't care about who gets the most attention. I've achieved something that's very special to me."
With 12 of 17 races still left, Wheldon is already going for his fifth win of the season. That would match the series record set by Sam Hornish Jr. when he won his second straight IRL title in 2002. The starting position isn't a concern. Wheldon rolled off the grid 16th at Indianapolis and his best start was second at Phoenix, the only race he didn't win this season.
Schumacher, 36, moved near Lake Geneva in 1996 to dodge Germany's 42% income tax. He now pays about 4% ($2m) of his $50m income to the Swiss government. High profile millionaires and Swiss residents like Jackie Stewart, Boris Becker, David Bowie, Celine Dion and Roger Moore also would be affected.
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2005 United States Grand Prix News
MICHELIN EXTENDS GESTURE TO F1 SPECTATORS AT U.S. GRAND PRIX
Michelin wishes to make a sincere gesture towards people present at Formula One Grand Prix in Indianapolis by offering to refund tickets.
INDIANAPOLIS (June 28, 2005) – One week after the Indianapolis Grand Prix, Michelin wishes to make a sincere gesture of goodwill towards the people present at the GP, a group whose passion for F1 is encouraging in the development of this sport in the United States.
Therefore, on our own initiative and in total solidarity with our partners, we have made two decisions:
Michelin has decided to contribute to the costs incurred by the spectators present at the circuit on Sunday, June 19, 2005, by offering to refund their tickets. This is an important decision, since Michelin is not at all legally bound to do this.
Michelin deeply regrets that the public was deprived of an exciting race and therefore wishes to be the first, among the different groups involved in the Indianapolis race, to make a strong gesture towards the spectators.
Michelin also offers to buy 20,000 tickets for the 2006 U.S. Grand Prix to be given to spectators who were present at the Indianapolis race in 2005. We are offering this to further promote Formula 1 interest in the United States.
We would also like to take this opportunity to underline the fact that it is unacceptable that our partner teams have been accused by the FIA of having boycotted the Indianapolis Grand Prix. The reality is that together, Michelin and its partners, have done everything possible to assure that the race could take place in total safety.
We are extremely disappointed that the proposals made with all our teams were not accepted. These proposals, including a chicane, were technically viable and totally met all safety requirements. On Sunday morning, June 19, the sporting authority had all the means necessary to preserve the interest of the race.
And yet, the sporting authority rejected the proposed solutions. Why? In our view this is totally incomprehensible and reflects a lack of respect for the spectators.
It is the spirit of respect for the spectators that brought us, with our partners, to propose solutions to allow the race to take place in total safety. It is this same spirit that leads us today to make this gesture.
Beneath it all, though, there are deeper and darker political issues. The manufacturers, who want to break away and form their own grand prix world championship, have been handed more ammunition. Only Ferrari have signed up to carry on with Mosley, Ecclestone and the FIA when the Concorde Agreement runs out at the end of the 2007 season. The split is growing deeper and Ecclestone, old Mr Snapfinger himself, was powerless to do anything about events last Sunday. Instead it was Mosley snapping his fingers and suggesting that Michelin should compensate the U.S. fans. The sport has been accused of behaving arrogantly, declining to promote itself aggressively in the U.S., refusing to make its drivers accessible to media and fans. "I've got to think these guys just don't get it," said Jim Liberatore, the outgoing president of Speed Channel. Even track officials at Indianapolis have complained. In 2000, Mari Hulman George, the chairman of the board and mother of Speedway president Tony George, tried to enter her private suite for the U.S. Grand Prix and was told she lacked the proper credentials. "I own this place," she reportedly said. To which a Formula One security guard replied: "Not today you don't." Bernie Ecclestone, the billionaire who owns the rights to the circuit and serves as its controlling figure, did not help matters last week when he mused about Indy car driver Danica Patrick, the rookie sensation who placed fourth in the recent Indianapolis 500. "She did a good job, didn't she? Super. Didn't think she'd be able to make it like that," Ecclestone told a gathering of reporters. He added: "You know, I've got one of these wonderful ideas that women should all be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances." While that comment might not have endeared him to American fans, the Formula One chief seems to appreciate the potential for marketing his sport in the U.S. and was distraught by what happened Sunday. "I'm furious with the stupidity," he told the London Times, adding later: "We were just starting to build a great image in the USA on television and with the fans, and that just went out the window."
Leading carmakers, such as BMW, Mercedes, and Toyota, who try to sell cars in the United States through the halo effect of competing in Formula One, will find the travesty that they took part in on Sunday will tarnish their images in the world’s biggest marketplace for years to come. This is how some of the bill could break down: $16 million — For the 120,000 spectators who want their money back. If refunds get offered. $25 million — The sum that the Speedway is believed to have paid for the annual franchise. Such is the shock at what happened, the management seems unlikely to renew its contract with Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management company for a race in 2006. $10 million — The amount the Speedway is estimated to spend on transporting an average of 50 staff and tons of equipment to North America, shared with Canada. $220 million — The loss of revenue for the city of Indianapolis if future races are cancelled. Thousands of tourists who spend on hotel bills and fill restaurants for almost a week give the city its biggest income from a single event. Incalculable — The huge knock-on from disgruntled sponsors who will probably want compensation for not seeing their cars on the track. BAR Honda were faced with paying back about $11 million to sponsors when they were banned from the Monaco Grand Prix this year and the consequences of the US race could be as great for the leading teams among the seven who refused to take part on Sunday. It is not known what the total will be, but the blue-chip companies represented included the Royal Bank of Scotland, which sponsors BMW-Williams, and British American Tobacco, backer of BAR Honda. Between them, sponsors invited thousands of corporate guests, many of whom were given a police escort to the Speedway on Sunday morning. After witnessing a single lap, they were left to find their own way home as the motorcycle police were diverted to help to marshall angry crowds demanding their money back.
(besides angering everyone)
First it was Nascar boys, and now even billionaire egomaniacs feel threatened by Danica! While she probably out weighs him, I'd like to see him get in a car and try racing her.
The tires were there, ready to be used! This mass forfeiture left the Ferraris to compete with the two slowest teams in Formula One, Jordan and Minardi, all of which run on Bridgestone tires. The rest of the teams never showed up and the two Ferrari cars basically just raced each other. It was so stupid it was an insult to the intelligence of everyone involved! There was one exciting moment however when Schumacher came out of the pits and almost collided with his teammate, forcing Rubens into the grass.
Lack of compromise shows not only that the FIA and F1 could care less about the American market. Pride and greed prevented any compromise. Their williness to waste perhaps millions of hours of the spectators time and money reminds me of the mindset of terrorists and Enron executives.
I want a refund, but from F1, not IMS. If I were Tony George, I might have shown less restraint and stopped the race after the first lap and tried to force the FIA to allow new tires for everyone. George took the safe and legal way out and let F1 run their show. After spending so many millions of his own money to bring F1 to Indianapolis, no one has been hurt more than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Tony George.
Read other fan's feelings on the subject at Speak Out and Grandprix.com
Formula One had two practice sessions today. The biggest crash of the day was when Ralf Schumacher spun and hit the wall in Turn 13. This time he hit the Safer Barrier, that was extended this year because of his crash in this area last year. He says he feels fine but the FIA is forcing him to sit out from racing this weekend. Ricardo Zonta will fill in for him. 2000 Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya ran the fastest today in both sessions. He lapped the 13-turn, 2.605-mile road circuit in 1 minute, 11.118 seconds, 131.860 mph during the second session -- the top lap of the day. An IPS car flipped when it hit the gravel trap. Marco Andretti won the pole position for Saturday's IPS race.
Leaders of Drivers Championship as of June 13, 2005
None of Jordon Grand Prix Tteam's drivers have ever raced on the Indianapolis roadcourse. Narain Karthikeyan, Tiago Monteiro and test driver Robert Doornbos. The BMW WilliamsF1 Team has new engines for Indy. Indy is normally a two-stop race, but that may change if their new Michelin tires work well. The BMW Motorsports director said, "The U.S. is the biggest export market for BMW. In terms of sales volume, it currently lies in second place behind the German home market. There is a keen interest in the sporty M models here, nowhere else sells as many of the BMW M cars as in the United States." The engine technical director for Toyota says, "The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the toughest circuits on the calendar for the engine department... the 1km banked straight which links the final corner of the preceding lap and the first corner of the next means that we are running the engine at max power for almost 24 seconds without a break." Expect to find driver Jarno Trulli, who is in third place in the standings, to be hanging out at the Slippery Noodle Inn listening to blues in the evenings. In regard to the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis, points leader Fernando Alonso said, "Without a doubt, it would be one of the best possible races to win a Grand Prix. In terms of the circuit itself, it is a bit complex and there are some very contrasting sections: very high speed straights, and very, very slow corners. You have to be really careful when you are selecting the set-up." The Renault F1 Team has released their test driver to compete in the 24 Hours of LeMans and will be substituting Heikki Kovalainen at Indy. At BAR Honda, driver Takuma Sato said, "I have great memories from Indianapolis in 2004 as I got my first podium at the race last year. I am very much looking forward to getting back to Indy next weekend and I think we will be competitive." Briton Jenson Button said, "The Brickyard is a very slow circuit. I prefer fast flowing circuits...the crowd are always very supportive." 2003 Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran is now the sporting director at BAR. Willy Rampf, technical director for Team Sauber Petronas, relates, "The surface is quite abrasive... that can affect tire wear. The infield is very tight - the drivers get into first gear there three times a lap." Jacques Villeneuve, 1995 Indy 500 Winner, enjoys returning to Indy, "Because the atmosphere outside of the paddock is always great. It feels a bit like a home Grand Prix because the number of Canadian fans that come and the many supporters that I still have around the USA after my time in IndyCar there and winning the Indy 500. Obviously, the track brings some good memories, so I am always happy to race there." Felipe Massa didn't get past the first turn last year in his first visit to the Indy Speedway. He said, "I like Indianapolis. You are conscious of being somewhere special, with a big history, racing in front of knowledgeable fans who really love their motor racing." Red Bull Racing has been searching for an American driver for several years. American Scott Speed was their test driver last week in Canada where he drove faster than either regular drivers (Coulthard and Klein) in Friday practice before crashing. He'll be back this Friday driving at Indy. "At the moment, it's all about getting used to the car's set-up, as it's so different to anything else I've driven," said Speed.
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JULY 2005
Jaques Lazier won in 2001 at Chicagoland Speedway. The other returnee is Townsend Bell, who is filling in for the injured Tomas Enge at Panther.
Manning was a test driver for B.A.R. in Formula One and also raced in CART for Walker. In his 24 IndyCar starts for Ganassi, Manning produced five top-five finishes and 12 top-10 results, including career-best fourth-place finishes in Japan, at Nashville and on the short Pikes Peak oval.
A total of 46 drivers -- who will compete for 43 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard starting spots -- participated in two-day tests at the 2.5-mile IMS oval over a three-week period, on July 5-6, 11-12 and 18-19. They completed a total of 5,291 laps, or 13,227.5 miles. It was a vital test, as only three drivers in the top 35 of the current NEXTEL Cup point standings -- Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Mike Bliss -- didn't turn laps this month at Indy. The first and third rounds of testing were conducted under hot, sunny, humid skies -- very typical of early August weather in Indianapolis. But drivers taking part in the second round of tests battled scattered rain and cooler, cloudy weather conditions. The drivers indicated that they appreciate the Speedway's new pavement as the grinding has resulted in a bigger groove and the track is smooth without a bump.
For those who purchased tickets at the ticket office on race weekend and did not pre-order their tickets, a refund process will also be available. They will need to download a form or call 1 877 950-8747. The form will not be available until August 8th. They will have to mail the form along with their ticket stubs to receive a refund. Apparently if you purchased your tickets off eBay or from a ticket reseller you will not be getting a refund. It is expected that Michelin will mail out the checks between Sept. 19 and Sept. 26.
Tony Stewart won his 2nd consecutive Nascar race. This time at Daytona.
Tony George told the Star, "There will be no race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this fall!" WHY?! Here he is getting handed a F1 race that won't cost him $10 million. It could even bring him revenue, not to mention the city. Unknown of course is if the three Bridgestone teams (Ferrari, Jordan, Minardi) would participate. I doubt if Ferrari would, but the rest might. If George accepted it, perhaps he'd be under pressure to offer free tickets. If so, then he'd be able to only rely on souvenir and food sales. Perhaps he could wrangle the television rights, since it would be a non-championship race. Perhaps F1 mgt would give him that. If this happened, then everyone involved would have paid the public back something for the June 19 fiasco. It wouldn't be until mid-October. That wouldn't interfere with anything at the Speedway. I say if George refuses outright to discuss it, then he must be making decisions emotionally and not logically. IMS is still waiting on Michelin to see how they will refund the tickets from this year's U.S. Grand Prix.
Asked if he had a chance to watch this year's Indy 500 while cooped with NASCAR at Charlotte, he said, "I watched pretty much all of it. I had a few meet-and-greets to do during it, but I was able to watch most of the 500. It's such an exciting race. It's exciting to watch every part of it. "I enjoyed it when I used to go and watch, and now I watch it on TV. I would hope to get an opportunity to race in that race in the near future." How that could happen is not clear. Owner Evernham is DaimlerChrysler's factory manager in NASCAR, but DC has no direct involvement with the Indy Racing League. Kasey Kahne Motorsports, which recently expanded its facilities, produces USAC-type cars, and Kahne and Evernham have an alliance in this area, which includes development of young driver Erin Crocker. In addition, the new start time for the 500 (1 p.m. ET) makes it impossible for drivers to compete in both the 500 and the Charlotte race later in the day. Several NASCAR regulars have indicated at least a passing interest in running the 500, with Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon having done so. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also has mused that he'd like to give the big race a shot.
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August 2005
The 36 y/o is thinking of switching to stockcar racing.
Wait until they hit Kentucky this weekend - the IRL has put up 15 billboards in the area instead of the usual 3 to promote the race - and ALL of them have Danica's picture on them!
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2005 ALLSTATE 400 AT THE BRICKYARD
Tony "forgot to shave" Stewart won the 400 in a final battle with Kasey Kahne. Little E got wrecked out and bounced around like a pinball in the middle of the race. He finished in last place. Jeff Gordon had his ups and downs finishing 8th. After the tire debacle at the U.S. Grand Prix, NASCAR's tire problem at the Brickyard stood out as eight cars shredded their front left tires. However they blew 12 tires last year at the Brickyard 400, and 21 left front tires at Pocono just this past June.
BRICKYARD 400 RACE RESULTS
INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2005 -- Indiana native Tony Stewart finally lived the dream he has coveted since childhood: winning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by taking the checkered flag at the 2005 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Aug. 7. Stewart, who was born in Rushville, Ind., and grew up in nearby Columbus -- less than an hour from the legendary 2.5-mile IMS oval, led 44 hard-fought laps of the 160-lap race, which saw numerous cautions and was highlighted by a nail-biting duel between Stewart and Kasey Kahne toward the end of the race. The result left Stewart overcome with emotion and exhaustion, but he celebrated by taking a slow lap the wrong way around the oval, punctuated by two climbs up the IMS catch fence: in front of his Turn 2 suite filled with family and friends, and at the Speedway's famous Yard of Bricks. "I'm dying right now," Stewart said with a laugh, after climbing off the main straightaway fence and lying down on the outside retaining wall. "I'm too tired to chase fences right now. Give me five minutes, and I'll be ready. "I wish I could put it in words," Stewart said, on what it meant to fulfill his dream. "Today has been my entire life. This is one of those days I don't want to end; I don't want to see the sun set. This is definitely the greatest day of my life, professionally, personally. I couldn't ask for more. Part of it hasn't sunk in yet. I'm sure when I'm over there with my family and friends, it will hit me." Stewart's win in the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet makes him the first Indiana-born driver to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the first Indiana-born driver to win at the Speedway since Shelbyville, Ind., native Wilbur Shaw won the 1940 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. The emotion of the day also overcame Stewart's crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, immediately following the checkered flag. "I thank the good Lord, man, I've never prayed that much in my life," said Zipadelli, his voice cracking. "Just to see the _expression on his face when I get over there will be worth everything." Stewart recently moved from North Carolina, headquarters for his Joe Gibbs Racing team, back to his childhood home in Columbus. Kahne finished second in the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, Brian Vickers was third in the No. 25 Garnier Fructis Chevrolet, Jeremy Mayfield was fourth in the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, and Matt Kenseth finished fifth in the No. 17 DeWalt Power Tools Ford. The race saw 10 cautions for 43 laps, slowing the average speed to 118.782 mph, the second-slowest Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in history. The 2004 race was slowed by 13 cautions for 47 laps, with an average speed of 115.037. Pole winner Elliott Sadler looked strong at the beginning of the race, pulling out to a 1.340 second lead by the end of Lap 2.! He led the first 22 laps in the No. 38 M&M's Ford, lost the lead for a lap to pit and then led another 15 laps before surrendering the lead to Vickers. Sadler remained in the top 10 for most of the race until he had a tire go flat on Lap 150, forcing a pit stop. He lost a lap and finished 32nd. Stewart took the lead for the first time on Lap 100 -- amid thunderous applause from the throng of Allstate 400 at the Brickyard spectators -- and stayed in control of the race until Lap 134, when Kahne moved past him in Turn 4. But Stewart kept the pressure on Kahne, and as the two drivers dueled, they pulled away from the rest of the field. Fuel mileage became a concern as the leaders approached Lap 150, since most of the field last pitted on Lap 118 during a caution period. Jimmie Johnson, who entered the race as the NEXTEL Cup points leader, gave the leaders the break they were looking for on Lap 146, when a tire problem caused him to hit the SAFER Barrier ! in Turn 4. The green flag flew on Lap 150, and Stewart got a good run on Kahne through Turn 1 and took the lead at the exit of Turn 2. "You can imagine my surprise when we take the green and go into (Turn 1), and he (Kahne) gets tight and can't close the door," Stewart said. "Knowing Kasey as well as I do, and the respect we have for each other, that's the guy I wanted to race with for the win. "When I sailed off into (Turn 2), I had the attitude that I was going to win it or wear it. I knew I was going to do something stupid, I knew Kasey wouldn't. He knows what this race means to me." Stewart weaved back and forth down the straightaways after taking the lead to break Kahne's draft. The maneuvering was successful as Stewart gradually pulled away, winning by a margin of .794 of a second. Johnson's accident marked the end of a disastrous day for him, which started with a spin without contact exiting Turn 2 on Lap 75 fo! llowed by an unscheduled pit stop after his Hendrick Motorsports crew left the catch can in the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet. Following the Lap 146 accident, Johnson brought the car back to pit lane with a fire beneath the hood. Johnson made a hasty exit from the car but was briefly overcome by smoke. After the race, Johnson was transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation and released. Four-time Allstate 400 at the Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had mixed results in their attempts to qualify for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. Earnhardt started 27th and immediately struggled with handling on the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. But his crew hardly had an opportunity to work on the car, as Earnhardt was bumped from behind by Mike Skinner on a restart on Lap 61. Earnhardt hit the inside retaining wall head-on on the main straightaway, then rebounded and hit three other cars, including teammate Martin Truex Jr.,! who was eliminated. Earnhardt finished 43rd and Truex 42nd. Gordon started seventh in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet but ran outside the top 10 for much of the race. He strategically pitted on Lap 124, however, while the leaders stayed out. After pitting, Gordon was at the back of lead-lap cars, and was 23rd on Lap 130. He rapidly moved through the field and finished eighth, gaining a spot in the NEXTEL Cup points.
The rain also forced a shuffle of the schedule for Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Qualifying Day on Saturday, Aug. 6. The schedule (all times local):
7 a.m.: Public gates open The rainout also forced the event to become an impound race, in which NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams can only do very limited work on their cars between the end of qualifying and the start of the race at 1:30 p.m. (local time) Sunday. Some drivers turned out in the morning to sign autographs for fans. They also had a R/C car race which pit drivers against some fans.
Bobby East NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler and Carl Edwards strapped into a Silver Crown sprint car for the night. Leffler, driving for Panther Racing, qualified on the pole with a fast lap of 21.115 seconds on the one-mile oval. Defending event champion Jay Drake drove his Tony Stewart owned car to the outside of row one. Tony Stewart was also on hand helping out the pit crew. Kahne started directly behind Leffler on the second row after running the third quickest qualifying lap. In front of packed stands and a full grassy hillside Drake took the lead as the green flag waved. Kahne and Leffler drove side by side the first few laps. On lap 14 a strong Bobby East in the Klatt Enterprises machine took the lead from Drake. On lap 98 Kahne bumped the wall in turn 1 and brought out the final yellow of the night, eliminating his hopes for a podium finish. But the yellow set up a dash to the checkered with Leffler immediately behind East on the restart with 2 laps to go. East's Ford motor had what it needed to pull off the victory. He was joined on the podium by Leffler and Josh Wise.
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September 2005
Danica Patrick clinched the Rookie of the Year honors. 
In the driver's interviews after the race, I was surprised to hear Alonso say, "I think I came from a country with no traditions in Formula One and, you know, I fought alone, basically, because I had no help from anyone for all of my career. I arrived in Formula One thanks to the results in my previous categories and thanks to my sponsors and now I think this title is the maximum I can achieve in my life, in my career, and it is thanks to three or four people, no more than that." A little different than the average winners interviews where they thank their team and family, etc. Says Al sr, "Between the three of us - Bobby, Al (Jr.) and I and (nephew) Johnny Unser, we could probably fill three museums. We'll pick certain items that will showcase racing - like the Indy room and Pikes Peak - and then two other rooms that will be made up of different cars like hot rods and street rods. Then there's a place called Jerry's Garage, which will honor my father because he's the one who got us going in this."
A suitable date was not found for Phoenix International (good riddance!) or California Speedway and they've been dropped.
He said the accelerometer in Briscoe's helmet registered in excess of 150g's on impact and "that much force against the shoulders is bound to cause breakage and Ryan also sustained damage to his T1 and T2 discs" in the lower back. These injuries were in addition to concussion, singed eyebrows and bruises to both of his knees. Brown expects Ryan Briscoe to be sidelined for a minimum of 6-8 weeks, which would take him out of commission for the balance of the season, which resumes next weekend on the Watkins Glen International road course.
DRIVERS IN NASCAR CHASE
10th place Ryan Newman is only 45 points out of first place.
The show, which features the “greatest buildings and machines ever created,” according to the National Geographic Channel Web site, will be rebroadcast at 11 p.m. (EDT) Sept. 13 and at 5 p.m. Wednesday Sept. 14.
Apparently the Indy Racing League's scrutineers found a "post-qualifying technical infraction" for all three Target Chip Ganassi Racing team cars and threw Briscoe, Scott Dixon and Jaques Lazier to the rear of the 23-car field. No precise explanation was given concerning the infraction involved. The disqualification gives Danica Patrick her third Marlboro Pole Award in the 15th race of the 2005 season, tying her with Tomas Scheckter for most poles in a rookie season. Just call Patrick the lucky lady; her first two poles came when qualifying was rained out and the grid was based on the combined practice times. Teammate Buddy Rice starts alongside Patrick and all other qualifiers move up one spot in the starting lineup. Interestingly, the person who has the pole position for the Infiniti Pro Series race at Chicago is Sarah McCune. This is her first IPS race! This weekend the IRL has two women on the pole. Wow.
Five years after opening Mo Nunn Racing, Morris decided closure was the best route for him and held a two-day auction to rid himself of the accoutrements of his most recent incarnation. Never the sentimentalist, everything went. The team's final campaign came during this year's Indianapolis 500 as a collaborative effort with Fernandez Racing and that team's co-owner Adrian Fernandez.
The earliest a motorcycle race could be held is 2007, although a more likely scenario is 2009 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the track's opening, which, coincidentally, was a motorcycle race.
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October 2005
An exciting new "knockout" qualifying format will be used to determine the starting lineup for the 2006 United States Grand Prix on July 2 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and for the rest of 2006 Formula One season. Pending final approval from the FIA World Council, the one-hour qualifying session will be split into three parts on the Saturday of each Grand Prix weekend. Each of the three parts will contain multiple drivers on track simultaneously turning as many laps as they want, a change from the single-car, one-lap qualifying system used from 2003-2005.
An element of suspense and pit strategy remains entwined in the new qualifying format as the top 10 cars must qualify with the amount of fuel with which they plan to start the race. In other pending rules changes, the rule limiting a driver to a single set of tires for qualifying and the race will be dropped, and in 2006 drivers will be allowed to change tires but will be limited to seven sets (28 tires) of dry-weather tires during the weekend.
Patrick, who came away from the crash with a sore left elbow, and Lazier, who was not injured, came together and both spun and slammed hard into the wall. Each blamed the other for the crash that set up the dramatic finish. It looked like Lazier did drift up and into Patrick's rear tire. "That's not the way I wanted to finish my season," Patrick said. "I was on my radio all day about him. He was all over the track even when he was running by himself. No wonder he jumps around from team to team. Needless to say, I'm pretty frustrated." Lazier said Patrick was the one at fault for continually pinching his car down in the corners. "She didn't want to give me any room," Lazier said. Running a pink paint scheme in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness didn't change Target/Ganassi Racing's luck because Lazier's crash was unofficially the 28th of the season for the team. Steve Chassey, an insurance executive who raced Indy cars in the 1970s and '80s, estimated Ganassi's crash damage tab for the season is higher than for the entire Champ Car World Series field.
This was Peter Sauber's last F1 race as team principal. He is handing off control to BMW who gained majority control of the stock. Sauber was in Formula One for 13 years.
Honda Performance Development (HPD) president Robert Clarke said, "We welcome competition but understand we may be the only ones involved," once Chevrolet leaves after tomorrow's Toyota Indy 400 and Toyota itself departs after the 2006 campaign. We are prepared to supply the entire IndyCar Series field [with leased engines at the same fixed cost to all teams] and feel it is crucial that everyone is supplied equal equipment. Our relationship with Ilmor (who assisted Honda and HPD in their initial entry into the League) has been mutually beneficial. It ends at the close of the 2006 season but we are in discussion to continue our agreement with Ilmor."
The driver complement was also confirmed, although not to which teams they will be assigned. David Coutlhard has already signed for the Red Bull team and the others are Christian Klien, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Scott Speed and Neel Jani.
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won the IRL Championship and the Indy 500 in 2005
with a Honda-powered Dallara
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November 2005
By Kurt Van der Dussen At long last the racing season is over and it's time to rate the top 10 drivers from across the sport. And it shouldn't take a lot of brainpower to figure out that Tony Stewart deserves to be the Driver of the Year. And not just because he won his second NASCAR Nextel Cup title. In the most competitive series there is, his final stats were five wins, 17 top-fives and 25 top-10s. He scored the most points in the regular season and the most in the Chase. But he also finally won the war against himself. Moving back to Columbus probably was worth more than all that counseling. No. 2 in turn has to be Indy Racing League champ Dan Wheldon. He won the title in overpowering style with six wins, including the Indianapolis 500. That's right, Dan, not Danica, won Indy for you casual readers. No. 3 is F1 champ Fernando Alonso. He ended Michael Schumacher's world championship streak at five. He wasn't F1's fastest driver and didn't have the fastest car - Kiki Raikkonen was and did - but he was solid and consistent in becoming the youngest world champ. No. 4 is Carl Edwards who as a Nextel Cup rookie won four races and finished third for the title. He also made a run at the Busch title as well. This kid is a likely future multiple Cup champ. No. 5 is the afore-cited Raikkonen, who was the F1 season's brightest star even if Alonso won the title. He tied Alonso with seven wins and lost two or three others and the title to sheer rotten luck. He must be the favorite for the crown in 2006 and the measure of his ability is that Ferrari lusts to sign him to succeed Schumi when he retires, perhaps in 2007. No. 6 is Greg Biffle, who led the Cup series with six wins and had 15 top-fives and 21 top-10s. He looks likely to add a Cup title to his Craftsman Truck and Busch titles in the future. No. 7 is Steve Kinser. Ho-hum. All he did was win a 20th World of Outlaws title, and at an age when very few drivers are even strapping into a car, much less winning races. But he'd better look over his shoulder because son Kraig already is his most formidable challenger. No. 8 is Max Angelelli, a driver most of you never have heard of. But he's the champ of the fast-growing and very competitive Rolex Sports Car Series, and his driving style is so aggressive rivals call him Max the Axe. No. 9 is young Sebastian Bourdais. He won his second straight Champ Car title - a crown of modest value, to be sure. But he also won an IROC race and no less than Mark Martin says a Cup team should sign the young Frenchman because he could cut the mustard in NASCAR. Why the Renault F1 team has not signed him is baffling. Finally, No. 10 is Jimmie Johnson. Yes, he failed for the third straight year to win the Cup. But he's the only guy in position to win it the last three years, too. And his four wins included another Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte, while his 22 top-10 finishes were second only to Stewart. As for Danica Patrick, if a female driver ought to be on the list, it would be British lass Katherine Legge, who won three races in the tough Formula Atlantic series from which Bobby Rahal plucked Patrick last winter for fame and fortune without having won so much as one race.
However, Wheldon will be driving for Chip Ganassi Racing next year. Naturally, the question arises why Wheldon would leave a winning power-house team like Andretti-Green. He claims that he was ready for a change and that he did not find the right situation in F1, so he has signed with Ganassi. Ganassi has not had their normal good luck this past year. They are not resigning Ryan Briscoe and they will run a two-car team next season.
In the mid eighties Newey was chief designer for MarchF1 and then technical director for Leyton House. In 1990 he moved to Williams and the cars he designed between 1990 and 1997 for the Grove outfit won four drivers' titles and five constructors' championships. Newey then joined McLaren and produced cars that won the constructors' in 1998 and gave Mika Hakkinen two consecutive drivers' titles in '98 and '99. He was nearly enticed to join Jaguar -- which was taken over by Red Bull -- in 2001 but shortly after Jaguar announced his signing, McLaren retaliated by stating that Newey was staying put.
Update: Rousch Racing has consequently suspended him from driving in the last two races of the year. Kurt moves to Penske Racing next year.
In the Race of Champions, Wheldon will represent the IRL against top drivers from all of the world’s other major forms of motorsports – Formula One, World Rally, NASCAR, sports cars, Champ Car, GP2, Rally Raid and DTM – in a unique event. Drivers will compete on an asphalt course in France’s national soccer stadium before more than 60,000 fans, driving a Citroen Xsara WRC car, Porsche 911 GT3 sports car and Race of Champions off-road buggy in heat races. The heats will eliminate drivers until two drivers square off in a race to determine the champion. Race of Champions drivers also will compete for the Nations Cup, representing their home country. Other drivers scheduled to compete in Paris are Formula One stars David Coulthard and Felipe Massa, four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon, World Rally champions Sebastian Loeb, Marcus Gronholm and Colin McRae, motocross champion Travis Pastrana, Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais, Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, DTM and former Formula One star Jean Alesi, GP2 standouts Heikki Kovalainen and Nelson Piquet Jr., DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom and Rally Raid star Stephane Peterhansel.
IRL drivers Helio Castroneves, Dan Wheldon and Roger Yasukawa competed as did F1 drivers Christian Klien, Christijan Albers and Antonio Pizzonia.
In a move to bolster support for the Infiniti Pro Series, the IRL will award an extra test day for every four IPS races that an IRL team competes in so that a team could earn up to 3 extra test days. However, the IPS driver must perform half of the testing duties in the IRL car on those extra test days.
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December 2005
Formed in late 1997, Panther remains one of the most successful teams in the Indy Racing League’s history, with 15 race victories and two championships. The currently employ drivers Tomas Scheckter and Tomas Enge.
First off, young Alonso is with a quick team already. McLaren hasn't won a championship since 1999. When things are all working correctly, McLaren Mercedes probably had the best car, but they didn't win the championship because too often their cars were breaking down. In racing, I will always choose the lucky ones over the good ones. McLaren has definately been unlucky in 05. Alonso shouldn't switch before McLaren has shown they've turned it around. Secondly, McLaren already has two of the best drivers around - Raikkonen and Montoya. Do they think Alonso is more talented than those two?! He may be as good, but he's definately not as experienced. I think he's just been lucky. Perhaps Ron Dennis prefers lucky to good as well. But why announce it now?! What will this do to Alonso next season when he knows he is racing against his future team? Will Renault lessen their support of him? And at McLaren, there is already plenty of competition between Kimi and Juan Pablo, who needs more? You've got to assume that the boy on his way out will be the Columbian. This is bound to mess with his mind all of next season. Look what Villeneuve did when he heard BAR was going to let him go - he dropped out of F1 immediately and didn't finish the last race of the year. Perhaps Ferrari will get their act together again and it won't even matter! Oh well... time will tell. It should be interesting for us fans next year.
Woodham joins Ryan Newman as Hoosiers to receive the honor. Woodham compiled an astounding 200 feature wins, four national titles, six track championships and 14 track records over a five-year period in Quarter Midgets. He is planning to move up to 600cc Mini-Sprints next year.
His son Marco, 19, is moving up to Indycars from the Infiniti Pro Series in '06. Perhaps this is the reason Michael if giving Indy another shot. Maybe he can better help his kid if he's actually out there racing. Michael and his father Mario race against each other in Indycars for around a decade. Of course Mario raced much longer than most drivers; I think he was 54 when he retired.
F1 management replied that the competing teams have asked to have just one tire supplier and that they were going to force the issue in 2008. They claim having just 1 tire supplier will result in lowered costs and be more fair. Then for good measure they threw in a barb about the 2005 U.S. grand prix.
This brings up a question - "Will there finally be a foreign Pace Car in the Indy 500?" The pace cars have always been provided by American car companys, but next year the only participating car manufacturer will be Honda. Over their three years (49 races) of competition in the IndyCar series, Toyota won one manufacturers' championship with Scott Dixon taking the drivers' title in 2003. Toyota powered cars to 17 race victories and 22 poles.
Williams F1 has switched from BMW to Cosworth power. Their new 20 y/o driver, Nico Rosberg, is the son of 1982 F1 champ Keke Rosberg. Sauber has switched from Ferrari to BMW power. Jordan F1 was purchased and renamed "Midland F1". They will be using Toyota power. Red Bull purchased another team - Minardi. They changed the name to "Scuderia Toro Rosso".
They suggest that a complete ban on non-emergency cell phone use by drivers would save something around $43 billion annually.
The new deal with the Fox, Speed, TNT and ESPN/ABC networks represents an increase over Nascar's current six-year, $2.4 billion pact with NBC, Fox and others that expires after 2006. A source familiar with the situation valued the new deal at $4.48 billion over the eight year term. The final 17 Nextel Cup races will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN, the networks tha broadcast Indycar. With the shortening of the IRL season, ABC now conveniently has the IRL season ending Sunday September 10 and the NASCAR Chase beginning the following Sunday, September 17. ABC's NASCAR coverage begins Sunday July 23 at Pocono and the IRL package doesn't end until 7 weeks later, there are only two weekends that the IRL and NASCAR races occur on the same day and those don't occur at the same time. ABC, by starting their NASCAR coverage with 17 races remaining, will also broadcast the Indianapolis Brickyard 400 August 8 and Bristol August 26, two of NASCAR’s highest rated races, and neither conflict with an IRL race date.
Entry List:
BENELUX: Christijan Albers (HOL/F1) + François Duval (BEL/WRC).
CVC also acquired the 48 percent stake held by Bayerische Landesbank of Germany, Ecclestone added. CVC in July raised €6 billion, or $7 billion, to create one of Europe's biggest buyout funds. Ecclestone, a British billionaire who used to control 25 percent, will remain chief executive of Formula One. Financial terms were not disclosed. |
