Category: Other Series PR

NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Oct. 24, 2013— With the temperatures falling in the Midwest and all of the non-wing sprint car racing events in that part of the country in the books, that means one thing for Tracy Hines and his fellow USAC competitors. It’s time to head west to wrap up the 2013 season in warmer locales, mainly the desert of Arizona, as well as Southern California. The stretch of races begins this weekend at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Ariz.

The 13th Annual Hose Advantage Hall of Fame Classic at Canyon Speedway for the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series is set for Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26. A full racing program will be in effect each night.

Hines, who pilots the Hansen’s Welding Inc. DRC, made a number of starts in 2012 at Canyon Speedway Park and picked up three victorious during the Winter Freeze at the one-third-mile oval. He finished among the top-five in five of the six rounds that comprised that mini-series to win the overall championship that pit the ASCS Canyon Region versus the USAC West Coast Series.

“We definitely turned a lot of laps at Canyon (Speedway Park) last season, with the winter races and then being there last fall,” said Hines. “We didn’t quite finish where we were hoping in the fall races, but learned quite a bit and have some good notes going back this time. The competition will certainly be tough with the guys we race against week in and week out, along with the west coast drivers.”

In the Hall of Fame Classic last fall at Canyon with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series, Hines finished sixth on the opening night and was ninth in the finale. On the opening night, the veteran was ninth-fastest lap in time trials of the 32 cars that were in attendance. Hines finished third in the first eight-lap heat race to earn a spot in the 30-lap main event. He started the A-Feature from the inside of the fifth row and gained a couple of spots in the early going and would eventually cross the line sixth.

Hines took the checkered flag in the finale in the ninth position. He finished second in the third heat race to open that night, after qualifying 15th. The 2002 USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series champion lined up on the outside of the seventh row for the 30-lap main event and worked his way forward, in the feature race, which was slowed by a pair of yellow flags and one red flag period.

“Having a two-night show is a plus,” he noted. “There are only a few times over the course of the season where we have a multi-night event, and you always run across a few things on the first night that you can apply on the second. We did well in Florida to open the season when we had a few nights in a row and the same at Kokomo (Speedway) back in August. With how tough the competition is, you have to try and take advantage of everything you can.”

With the Honda USAC National Midget Series in the Western Classic at Canyon Speedway Park last season, Hines finished fourth. The native of New Castle, Ind., opened the night by recording the seventh-fastest lap in time trials of the 28 cars that took to the track. Hines followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the third eight-lap heat race to earn a spot in the 30-lap A-Feature.

Hines enters the Hall of Fame Classic sixth in the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series standings. He has two victories on the season to go along with 15 top-10 finishes. A total of four nights of racing remain on the 2013 calendar for the series.

“We have a handful of sprint car races left this season and we want to make the most of them,” Hines said. “We won those two races early in the season in the sprint car and have not won since, so we that’s what we have our sights set on. Having raced quite a few times at Canyon (Speedway Park) should work in our favor a little bit.”

Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Hansen’s Welding Inc., Parker Machinery, Turbines, Inc., Afco Racing Products, Daum Crop Insurance, Schoenfeld Headers, Allstar Performance, Kenny’s Components, Race Bumpers and Bell Racing.

For more information on Tracy Hines Racing, visit http://www.tracyhinesracing.com. Follow Tracy on Twitter atwww.Twitter.com/TracyHinesRacin.

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Championship driver (mini Firehawk Cup): Sage Karam

Jostens Championship Driver Award (ring): Sage Karam

Championship team (mini Firehawk Cup): Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb Agajanian

Chief Mechanic of the Year: Derrick Stepan                                          

Firestone Indy Lights Rookie of the Year ($15,000): Sage Karam

Greg Moore Legacy Award: Peter Dempsey

Gregory & Appel “Securing Tomorrow” Award ($3,000): Carlos Munoz

Mazda Road to Indy award winners:

 

Jostens Championship Driver Award (ring): Matthew Brabham (Pro Mazda Championship); Scott Hargrove (USF2000 Championship).

WATERTOWN, Conn. — Oct. 23, 2013— Big events traditionally dot the calendar during the last few weeks of the sprint car season. Last weekend, it was the Trophy Cup at Thunderbowl Raceway in California, taking the spotlight and this weekend, the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals will be front and center at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. David Gravel made a strong statement in his debut at the Trophy Cup, coming home second in a photo finish with Tim Kaeding in the opener and was 10th in the finale, with a field of over 80 cars in attendance. This week, the native of Watertown, Conn., heads to Little Rock, to compete against a field that has surpassed the 90 entry mark for the event sanctioned by the Lucas Oil ASCS Presented by MAVTV American Real.

Gravel will pilot the No. 82 Buffalo Wild Wings machine for the Blazin Racing team, owned by Todd and Susan LaHaise. He hits the track for the first time tonight in the inaugural Short Track Nationals Open. Gravel then will return to the action on the second preliminary night on Friday, Oct. 25. The $15,000-to-win finale of the Short Track Nationals is set for Saturday, Oct. 26.

“Little Rock (I-30 Speedway) is a small track and you definitely have to be up on the wheel,” said Gravel. “The track changes a lot and you have to really stay on top of it. I made the feature the first time I went down there a few years ago, so I know what it takes, I just have to have things go my way a little bit.”

Gravel made his first trip to the Short Track Nationals in 2010. He finished 12th on the final night of the event, with a field of over 80 cars in attendance. He opened the night by finishing second in the sixth qualifier. Gravel kicked-off his maiden voyage to the Short Track Nationals by competing on the first preliminary night, where he finished 18th in the main event. The 21-year-old began that night by finishing third in the third qualifier, which earned him a spot in the preliminary feature.

“It’s all about passing cars at the Short Track Nationals,” he shared. “There will be a lot of cars and a lot of good cars. Hot laps will be important each night, especially being in the (No.) 82 car for the first time. I was able to get up to speed pretty quick in a new car at the Trophy Cup last weekend, so hopefully that will be the case again this week.”

Gravel, who is the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, has won twice this year with the series. He was victorious at I-94 Speedway in Minnesota, in the spring, and also made a trip to the winner’s circle at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, on the opening night of the Knoxville Nationals.

Gravel has raced on a number of bullrings in 2013, similar to the quarter-mile of I-30 Speedway. Along with finishing second last weekend at Thunderbowl Raceway, a one-third-mile, he also earned a runner-up finish with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at the quarter-mile Tri-State Speedway in Indiana, in April.

“It was great last weekend to have two strong nights and that definitely gives me a confidence boost heading to Little Rock,” said Gravel. “Keeping your nose clean is pretty important in the Short Track Nationals and we’ll try to pass as many cars as we can every time we are on the track to get as many points as we can. It’s a great opportunity to race this week and I’m looking to make the most of it.”

Keep up-to-date with David Gravel and DDR Motorsports by visiting www.DavidGravel89.com. Follow David on Twitter@davidgravel89g and like David on Facebook.

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1.      Big names to participate in Wheldon karting event

2.      Auto Club Speedway technical penalty update

3.      Hamster Ball race part of Dixon’s tour

4.      Inside the Numbers – 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Season

5.      Steering wheels focus of “How It’s Made”

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Oct. 13, 2013— The recipe for success at the sprawling five-eighths-mile Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, N.Y., requires pure speed and also some track position. Kraig Kinser was able to combine the two on Saturday, Oct. 12, as he finished fifth in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event that accompanied the Super Dirt Week XLII festivities.

For Kinser, who hails from Bloomington, Ind., the fifth-place effort was the third top-five showing of his career at Rolling Wheels, which is one of the two largest venues on the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series circuit. He has finished among the top-10 in three of the last four fall races for the series at the track.

“It was a pretty solid night for us,” said Kinser. “We timed in well, which always helps and that got us in the dash. At a place like Rolling Wheels (Raceway Park) track position is everything and we put ourselves in a good spot near the front of the field. It might have helped to have had another caution or two to bunch the field up and have a double-file restart, but it may have hurt as well, you never know. We’ll take a top-five and begin to prepare for the World Finals.”

Kinser opened the night by turning the fourth-fastest lap in time trials of the 27 entrants in the Mesilla Valley Transportation/Casey’s General Store/King Racing Products Maxim. He started third in the first heat race and finished in that same position to earn a spot in the dash. Kinser took the green flag for the dash in fourth and came home third, which put him on the inside of the second row for the 25-lap main event.

The first caution flag of the night flew on the initial start, as three cars had separate problems at various points of the track. On the second start, Kinser lost a spot and was running fourth when the second and final caution of the night flew on lap-5. Craig Dollansky would get around him on the seventh circuit, and Kinser would remain fifth for the duration of the 25-lap A-Feature, earning his ninth top-five finish of the season.

The event at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park was captured by the cameras from the CBS Sports Network and will air on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Kinser is currently 11th in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings. He was victorious earlier this season at Orange County Fair Speedway in New York, and has 33 Top-10 finishes. The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series season concludes for Kinser next month with the running of the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., November 7–9.

“With a break in the schedule, you just try to stay as focused as you can,” shared Kinser. “It’s always good to have some time at the shop to regroup and get things ready, but as a driver, you definitely always want to be at the track and behind the wheel. There will be a lot of cars as always at Charlotte, so we’ll work on some of the little things to get ready and qualifying will be even more important than normal there.”

Kraig Kinser Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, Mesilla Valley Transportation, King Racing Products, Maxim, Aerodine Composites, Sander Engineering, Integra Shocks, All Star Performance, FK Rod Ends, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bell, KSE Racing Products, ButlerBuilt, Schoenfeld Headers, Donovan Engineering, Fel-Pro, Brodix, Wilwood, Dyer’s, Barnes Systems, Ringer Gloves, Jakes Custom Golf Carts, and Ben Cook Racing Limited for their continued support.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Oct. 13, 2013 — Taylor Ferns has one main goal for the last handful of races on her 2013 schedule and that is to record solid finishes and build a foundation for next year. She was able to keep with this plan on Saturday, October 12 at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio, finishing fifth in the season finale for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship.

“It was definitely a good way to end our pavement season,” said Ferns. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck this year, so having a good finish like that shows that our luck is turning around. It also shows that I can run up front with the USAC National drivers and that is certainly a confidence booster. I feel like we could have maybe gained a couple more spots, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed with a fifth-place finish. It gives us something to build on for sure.”

For the native of Shelby Township, Mich., the top-five performance was her third straight showing of seventh or better with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship. Ferns opened the night by recording the seventh-fastest time in qualifying with a lap of 13.635-seconds around the one-third-mile oval. She lined up third in the first qualifying scramble and finished fourth in that 12-lap contest, which put her on the inside of the third row to start the 40-lap A-Feature, though she ended up moving up a row when the fifth-place starting car was unable to make the call for the feature.

Ferns ran near the top-five for the duration of the main event and withstood a couple of late restarts after a pair of caution flags with five laps remaining. She would cross the finish line in fifth, which matched her best-career finish with the series and was her second top-five performance in the last three pavement races, piloting her family-owned Motor City Transport Inc. Beast.

“It was a good race all around,” she noted. “I was able to battle with my teammates (Caleb Armstrong and Dalton Armstrong). We finished third, fourth and fifth, though we all wish it would have been first, second and third, but we had a solid day and all the cars came home in one piece. Anytime you can finish in the top-five with the USAC National drivers is a solid result.”

The event at Columbus served as the season finale for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship. Ferns made a total of six starts with the series this season, earning three top-10 finishes, with two of those being top-five performances. She earned her first top-five with the series at the one-mile Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado in June. The high school senior also turned in a solid seventh-place performance at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in July.

Ferns finished ninth in points with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship, despite not competing in all of the races. The winningest female driver in USAC history will return to action in a midget with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship next month at Canyon Speedway Park in Arizona as part of the famed Western World Championships.

“We have a long break coming up before we head out west and that is always a challenge,” said Ferns. “I’ll watch some You Tube videos online to keep me in the swing of things. It’s not quite the same as being in the seat of the racecar, but it allows me to watch some of the lines that people run at the tracks out west and should help when we get out there next month.”

Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing would like to thank their valued partners: Motor City Auto Transport Inc., National Auto Placement, FK Rod Ends, Lucas Oil, K&N Filters, Lansing Sanitary Supply (LSS), Simpson Race Products, Indy Race Parts, ButlerBuilt, Allstar Performance, Stanton Racing Engines, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Lyn St. James Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation, Race4Girls andRacing2Cure.

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1. IZOD IndyCar Series Championship Overview: Series title comes down to final race again

2. 2014 IndyCar Series schedule to be released on ‘INDYCAR Championship Preview Show

3. Holmatro Safety Team honored at annual team dinner

 

1. IZOD IndyCar Series Championship Overview: Series title comes down to final race again: Helio Castroneves has been in this position before.

 

The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner entered the 2008 season finale chasing Scott Dixon, who had a 30-point lead.

 

Castroneves did everything he could do and despite starting last after his qualifying run was disallowed, he managed to win the race by .0033 of a second. The only problem? Dixon, a six-time race winner in ’08, was there with him at the finish – netting a runner-up result that garnered a second IndyCar title by 17 points over the Brazilian.

 

He’ll need a similar result and a little help to erase a 25-point deficit to Dixon in the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 19.

 

“At this point I feel that I have nothing to lose, so there is no pressure to be honest,” said Castroneves, who led the standings after 12 of the previous 15 events. “You have to just go for it.  We’re going to look for our best result, and try to replicate what we did in Texas and hopefully we’ll be successful.”

 

It’s the eighth consecutive season that the IZOD IndyCar Series championship has come down to the final race of the year

 

Castroneves had a 49-point lead over Dixon going into the Oct. 5-6 doubleheader in Houston. Gearbox issues in both races dropped Castroneves 25 points behind Dixon, who won Race 1 and was runner-up in Race 2.

 

Dixon, who will be seeking his third IZOD IndyCar Series championship, will have Alex Tagliani as his teammate while Dario Franchitti continues to recover in Indianapolis from injuries suffered in a last-lap crash at in Race 2 at Houston.

 

“Every year we compete we try to win the championship, and I think definitely over the last five or six years we’ve had a good shot sort of going into the last one each of those years,” Dixon said. “It’s a good situation for us to be in and one that we’ll dig deep and try and carry out, but obviously with the competition against Penske and Helio, a very accomplished team and a very accomplished driver, it’s not going to be easy at all. 

 

“As typical of many IndyCar Series championships, I think it’s going to come down to the last lap, last corner scenario. For us, we just hope that we’re on the good receiving end.”

 

Did You Know? 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Championship:

 

· Scott Dixon leads the IZOD IndyCar Series championship heading into the final race for the fourth time in his career. He also led in 2003 and 2008 when he won the title and in 2009 when he finished second to Dario Franchitti.

 

· Dixon leads Castroneves by 25 points. It is the only time he has led the standings this season and the first time that he’s led the championship since there was one race to go in 2009.

 

· There are two drivers eligible for the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship: Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon.

 

· Simon Pagenaud, Justin Wilson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, Will Power, Charlie Kimball and Dario Franchitti were eliminated from contention at Houston.

 

· This is the eighth straight season that the IZOD IndyCar Series title will be decided in the season-ending race.

 

Drivers still mathematically eligible for championship: 2

 

Key Championship statistic:  Since 2009, the driver who entered the final race with the points lead has failed to win the IZOD IndyCar Series title. The last point leader to win the title was Scott Dixon in 2008.

 

Largest 1-2 point differential since: 2011. With one race to go, the 2013 points battle (25 points separate first and second) is the largest that it’s been since the 2008 season when first and second place were separated by 30 points. The average point deficit with one to go since 2005 is 13.0 points.

 

Championship-eligible drivers at Auto Club Speedway: Helio Castroneves has nine starts at Auto Club Speedway with a best finish of fifth in 2002 and 2012. Scott Dixon has six starts at Auto Club Speedway with a best finish of second in 2003. He finished third in the 2012 race.

 

Championship-eligible drivers on ovals: Helio Castroneves has 16 oval wins (2001-Indianapolis; 2002-Phoenix, Indianapolis; 2003-Gateway, Nazareth; 2004-Texas 2; 2005-Richmond; 2006- Motegi, Texas, Michigan; 2008-Chicagoland; 2009-Indianapolis, Texas; 2010-Kentucky, Motegi; 2013-Texas). Four of Castroneves’ wins have come on a superspeedway. Scott Dixon has 18 oval wins (2001-Nazareth; 2003-Homestead, Pikes Peak, Richmond; 2006- Nashville; 2007- Nashville; 2008-Homestead, Indianapolis, Texas, Nashville, Kentucky; 2009-Kansas, Milwaukee, Richmond, Motegi; 2010-Kansas, Homestead; 2013-Pocono). Two of Dixon’s wins have come on a superspeedway – Indianapolis 2008 and Pocono 2013.

 

2. 2014 IndyCar Series schedule to be released on ‘INDYCAR Championship Preview Show: The full 2014 IndyCar Series schedule will be unveiled during an hour-long show Oct. 17 on NBC Sports Network that also focuses on the championship-deciding MAVTV 500 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway.

 

The special airs at 8 p.m. (ET).

 

Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR, reviews the 2014 schedule, which will include the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10 on a reconfigured road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event will jump-start Month of May activities, leading into the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 25.

 

NBC Sports Network colleagues Leigh Diffey, Robin Miller and Kevin Lee will preview the championship duel between Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon in the 250-lap twilight race on the 2-mile oval.

 

The panel also reviews the highly competitive 18 races, which have been marked by 10 different winners and four first-time winners.

 

NBC Sports Network will have full coverage of the race weekend from Fontana, Calif. The lineup (check local listings; all times Eastern):

 

* Friday, Oct. 18 — 7 p.m. MAVTV 500 qualifications

* Saturday, Oct. 18 — 7 p.m. Lefty’s Kids Club 100 Firestone Indy Lights race

* Saturday, Oct. 19 — 8 p.m. MAVTV 500 IZOD IndyCar Series race

 

3. Holmatro Safety Team honored at annual team dinner:  Each member of INDYCAR’s Holmatro Safety Team was recognized for their service during a dinner Oct. 11 at the Dallara facility in Indianapolis.

 

IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Charlie Kimball and Takuma Sato popped in to relay their thanks and give driving pointers on the simulators.

 

The Holmatro Safety Team, comprised of about 30 safety personnel who have an average of 20 years’ experience in their respective areas, works in conjunction with and coordinates safety personnel staffing at each venue.

 

A minimum of 18 attend each event, including a trauma physician, an orthopedic physician, two paramedics, 12 firefighters/EMTs, and two registered nurses.

 

About 75 percent of the team are civil servants who are officers in their departments, such as captains, lieutenants and a fire chief.

 

Holmatro tools have been an important INDYCAR resource since 1996, and Holmatro Incorporated became the Safety Team sponsor in 2010. Founded in 1967, the global company designs and manufactures high-pressure hydraulic equipment for rescue, industrial and marine applications.

 

“We are not a consumer product. Our value comes from bringing targeted people to events and then being able to introduce them to the guys on the safety team because they speak the same language,” Swayne said. “For our customer base, a guy who runs a rescue squad in a fire department looks at these guys as a rock band and says, ‘I could be in that band because I have the same skills sets and I know what they know.’

 

“It’s really neat to see that happen. That’s where we get our value and that’s one of the reasons we like to do this safety team dinner each year. It’s another opportunity to say thanks. These guys never fail to impress me and make me feel proud.”

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the MAV TV 500 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway. The race will be televised live by NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211, www.indycar.com and the INDYCAR 13 App for most smartphones and tablets. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Lefty’s Kids Club 100 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 7 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 19.

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1.      If you missed it: INDYCAR Conference Call with Mike Hull and Tim Cindric

2.      If you missed it: INDYCAR Conference Call with Sage Karam and Gabby Chaves

3.      O’Gara to race at Auto Club Speedway

1. If you missed it: INDYCAR Conference Call with Mike Hull and Tim Cindric: Earlier today, Target Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull and Penske Racing president Tim Cindric participated in an INDYCAR Conference Call to discuss the MAVTV 500.

Selected quotes from the call are below.

Q. Mike, leading the championship with Scott is a situation you’ve been in before a couple times.  Last week when he was on the call he said he’s not changing his approach to the weekend even though it’s a 500‑mile race and the championship is on the line.  Does planning for a 500‑mile race change the way you approach a championship?

MIKE HULL:  I think you plan for the race. That’s the focus. The race is what we do.  Living for race day is what it’s all about for us. The championship, if you win races or you finish at the front consistently, you have an opportunity to win championships.  Some races are bigger than others I suppose in terms of the gravity, but this one is a big gravitational race because of what it represents, so we’ll work hard for the race.

Q: Penske and Ganassi are the two heavyweights of the IndyCar Series, and I seem to ask this every time you guys join us on the call, but what makes you guys title contenders year in and year out?

MIKE HULL:  I’ll speak for us at Chip Ganassi Racing in reference to Mr. Penske and Tim and Penske Racing.  When we started as a group many years ago, Penske Racing was the team that not only ‑‑ you wanted ‑‑ some people say we raced with these people.  Well, as a matter of fact, you’re either in the race or you race against somebody, and we set our minds to try to create an organization that would be equal enough in every respect to race against the best in the business, and I still consider Penske Racing to be the best in the business. That’s what drives us, to be honest about it, and I think that’s what drives us to be with them race in and race out, wheel to wheel, every weekend, because that’s the measure.

There are other teams that we race against that do the same job, but what you have to do is you have to create a mindset that you’re going to do the job season in and season out, and that’s what we saw in Penske Racing when we tried to form the organization that we formed.

Q. Tim, a Team Penske driver battling for the series title again, seems to follow the script every year, but this year it’s Helio Castroneves, and he finds himself chasing somebody for the first time since June.  What is the team’s mind-set this week as it chases Scott Dixon for its first title since 2006?

TIM CINDRIC:  I think it’s obviously one that you just have to go out and try and win the race.  I don’t really know how else to approach it with the way the points are now.  I think Mike and his guys, they were able to execute in Houston and we weren’t.  That’s kind of the bottom line.  It’s put us in a position where we have to go out and win, and really aren’t in control of our own destiny in the way that Mike and Scott are. Certainly wish we had Houston to do over again, but that’s how racing goes.

Q: Penske and Ganassi are the two heavyweights of the IndyCar Series, and I seem to ask this every time you guys join us on the call, but what makes you guys title contenders year in and year out?

TIM CINDRIC: I appreciate the comments, Mike.  I think that for us, (team owner) Roger (Penske) has always set the mark way before my time as far as how you gauge success, but at the end of the day, it’s the competitiveness, and fortunately both of our organizations have the resource and the ability to attract the best people. When you look at the drivers that Chip has in his organization and the ones that Roger has had over the years, they’re usually proven quantities, and they’re ones that are used to competing with the type of pressure.  You have to want that, and I think both organizations want to be in this position at the end of the year.

Mike and his group have done a much better job than we have here in the past five or six years of executing at the end of the year and throughout the year to where our bad races are really bad, and you can’t have those with the way the series is.  You have to be able to finish something.  I think you can look at many of these last four or five years, and you can look back, and for sure you want it to be differently.

We do struggle as an organization with all the things that Mike said that Roger has stood for and his successes of second isn’t good enough, and I think that’s the mindset that both groups have, is that second isn’t good enough, and that’s what you need.  But the difference really is the people that I think both groups have and the continuity that we have with not only our sponsors but our people, and the people certainly make the difference because they’re the ones that really execute on race day or they don’t.  But I think the reason why we’re all involved in it really is just the passion we have for the sport.

2. If you missed it: INDYCAR Conference Call with Sage Karam and Gabby Chaves:Earlier today, Firestone Indy Lights drivers and championship contenders Sage Karam and Gabby Chaves participated in an INDYCAR Conference Call to discuss the Lefty’s Kids Club 100.

Selected quotes from the call are below. 

Q: Just talk a little bit about how you are approaching Fontana this weekend.

SAGE KARAM: It’s the second year in a row that we’re battling it out.  I figured it would come down to us three.  I think we definitely had a powerhouse team this year, bringing the top three in from Star Mazda, which is now Pro Mazda. Going into Fontana, no different from any other weekend. People are asking me what do I need to do to win the championship.  I really don’t have to look into it too hard.  If I win the race, I win the championship.  (Team co-owner) Sam (Schmidt) said to me before the race in Houston, win the race and you’re going to win the championship.  That’s our main focus is win the race, and hopefully we can get the title from there.

Q: Talk a little bit about battling a teammate for the title.  You guys both know that you guys have equal equipment, and if you’re struggling you could actually look at the other guy’s data.  Talk about battling a teammate for a championship.

SAGE KARAM:  I think battling Gabby is going to make it a little bit easier just because I know what he’s got compared to what I’ve got, and I see his data, I see his video.  Everything he’s doing is going to be in front of my eyes.  You know, there’s no hiding anything, and there’s no secrets. We’re still teammates.  We’re still going to be sharing data.  We’re still going to be acting as a team, but we’re going to race each other hard, and I think it’s definitely better to be racing Gabby going into this weekend knowing that I’m going to be having all his stuff and all his video and everything compared to if I was racing (Carlos) Muñoz where I wouldn’t know anything and there would be a lot more X‑factors. I think it definitely plays in both of our hands that we’re racing each other, other than somebody else on another team.

Q: Sage, I know that a couple of the guys have had some tests with IndyCar teams already, and I know it’s a little early to be looking ahead to something like that, but have you had any discussions with any teams at this point about what might happen in 2014 if this thing works out in your favor this weekend?

SAGE KARAM:  I really haven’t had much discussion about IndyCar.  The focus has really been on trying to get this title nailed down.  I don’t think anybody really thought we would be in this position at the end of the year, and I mean, even with the start I had and the mid‑season troubles I’ve had, I almost was doubting myself that I was going to even be in this position.  So I kind of almost wrote off IndyCar next year. And then we turned our season around and we got here.  But no, I really haven’t been in any discussion.  I’m sure after this weekend if things go well, I’m sure that we’ll talk to Sam.  He’s going to be the first guy we go to, obviously, and then we’ll go from there and see what happens.

Q: I know last year you battled Jack Hawksworth and Sage for the Pro Mazda title, so a title fight is nothing new to you.  But talk about how you are approaching this last race at Auto Club Speedway.

GABBY CHAVES:  Funny thing you mentioned that because last year it was the same three guys fighting for the title and promoting the championship, the same three guys who are first, second and third in the Indy Lights championship this year. I seemed to be stuck in the middle last year and trying to squeeze my way one position for this last race. Interesting for that, but I think the preparation that we’ve had all year leads to this last race, which will be the most important race possibly of our careers.  We’ve been preparing very hard fitness‑wise and mentally and working on the simulator and working with the team and everything.  This is where it comes down to the line.

Q: Talk a little bit about battling a teammate for the title.  You guys both know that you guys have equal equipment, and if you’re struggling you could actually look at the other guy’s data.  Talk about battling a teammate for a championship.

GABBY CHAVES:  Like Sage said, there’s nothing to hide from each other.  You can’t go out there and work out a magic trick and hope that the other one is not going to find out because we’re sharing everything.  That will play into someone’s advantage, whether it be him or me. We’re running our team, so first of all we’ve got to look at the team and say, wow, what a great job they’re doing, not only this season but in the past seasons, as well.  They always give us cars to win races and win a championship.  I think it’s going to be a very interesting last race.  I know Sage has got a comfortable lead in points.  The way I see it all I have to do is go out there and win the race, and whatever happens behind me happens.  I can’t control anything from there on.  So I’ve just got to go out there, do my best and see if it plays in our favor or not.

3. O’Gara to race at Auto Club Speedway: Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing development driver Kyle O’Gara will compete in the Lefty’s Kids Club 100 at Auto Club Speedway — the Firestone Indy Lights season finale on Oct. 19.

It will be the second Firestone Indy Lights race for the 18-year-old Indianapolis resident through a partnership between Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. O’Gara’s No. 67 entry will be sponsored by SFHR co-owner Wink Hartman and Hartman Oil.

“I’m very excited to be back behind the wheel of an (Indy) Lights car this week,” O’Gara said. “I can’t thank everyone at SPM and SFHR enough for all of their help.”

Added Hartman: “As Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing grows, we always look for the opportunity to support the development of our drivers and team members. Kyle O’Gara is an important part of our team culture and has contributed greatly to our success on and off of the track.”

O’Gara, brother-in-law of team co-owner Sarah Fisher, drove in the Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May.

“Indy didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but we are really looking forward to having a good result in California,” O’Gara said.

At Auto Club Speedway, O’Gara will rejoin Sage Karam, Gabby Chavez and Jack Hawksworth for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Karam and Chavez will contend for the series championship in the 50-lap race (7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network).

“I’m very pleased to have Kyle back in the SPM car for Fontana,” team co-owner Sam Schmidt said. “He showed excellent speed and maturity at Indy in May, but we didn’t translate that into representative results. I appreciate the efforts of everyone involved that enabled him to get a second chance.”

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The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the MAV TV 500 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway. The race will be televised live by NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211, www.indycar.com and the INDYCAR 13 App for most smartphones and tablets. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Lefty’s Kids Club 100 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 7 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 19.