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  • IZOD IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard Looks Towards Bright Future

    IZOD IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard Looks Towards Bright Future

    [media-credit name=”Ashley McCubbin” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]16 months ago, Randy Bernard took over the reins of the IZOD IndyCar Series, ready to get the series back in the spotlight.

    Bernard got started in sports marketing back in 1984 with professional bull-riding. In the mass of 15 years, he turned the sport around from being worth $2000 to $22 million. Though once he did that, he decided he was ready for a new challenge, which was when the IZOD IndyCar Series was brought forth to his attention. Bernard met with officials for three hours to discuss being a consultant; though 24 hours later, he was offered the position of CEO.

    “I was very intrigued with the opportunity, but I also wanted to do my homework,” he said of that moment during the media luncheon in Toronto. “I felt it was very important for me to fly out and meet with all the big names of the sport. I wanted to meet with Penske, with Ganassi, with Dario (Franchitti) and Danica (Patrick), with IZOD – I just needed to make sure that they’d give me the opportunity to work for ‘em and respect me as a promoter and marketer because I wasn’t going to go somewhere there wasn’t a trust level there. I’ve been on the job now 16 months; I absolutely love it.”

    Since taking over the reins, Bernard has made many changes to the series that have brought it back to the spotlight, learning lessons along the way.

    “It’s been a whirlwind,” he said. “It’s been like drinking water from a fountain. I’ve always said you’re always good as your last day of work. I learned that in this sport you’re only as good as your last hour of work. It changes so quickly and one day you think you’re on top of the world and the next day, you have the rug pulled out from under your feet. So if there’s one sport that can make you very humble, it’s this sport.”

    In his time of being in charge, Bernard has instituted quite a few changes that people have debated, including the double-file restarts. Most fans like the drama that plays out as a result, however drivers and some fans say that it’s brought some unnecessary wrecks into play.

    “I look at it as how our ratings are doing,” he said. “If our ratings were to decrease, I would say it’s probably it’s been an important factor to the amount it’s costing. With the fact that were up 24% on network and 14% on cable and that the blogs have been dominated with talk about double-file restarts; it was the number two story of this entire month of May in Indy. I think it shows that it is important and I think fans want to see IndyCar showcased at its very best and if we’re going to say we have the very best drivers in the world, the best drivers in the world need to showcase their skills and learn to deal with double-file restarts.”

    Bernard spoke on Wednesday in Toronto of the future of the sport and what he had planned in further promoting it to more people. One of the keys to that promoting includes the title sponsor of the series, IZOD.

    “IZOD has been remarkably great with us from several different aspects,” he said. “First, they are not an endemic sponsor so they’re reaching to a non-endemic crowd, which isn’t a motorsports enthusiast, and what IZOD stands for is very important to us. The fact that they’re a lifestyle, they’re pop-culture and they’re reaching youth, they’re very important to IndyCar. I think if we can use that and educate our fans and use them to bring new fans, a more of a mainstream fan, and use the Hondas, Sonocos, Shell Oils and Verizons of the world and help maintain and create more of a motorsports fan, I think that’ll be our strategy going forward.”

    Bernard plans on reaching youth through making partnerships with the go-karting leagues and with the Boy Scout clubs to get the kids to the track via field trips and racing events. He also made a drastic move changing the minimum age of entry to the garage area from 18 to nine this year. They’ve also brought forth a new driver introduction stage, so therefore fans can see their drivers introduced in big style.

    They’ve also brought forth the Road to Indy with their own ladder for drivers to climb to become involved in IndyCar Racing, unlike most series out there, as starts right up at the karting left to the top. Currently, Bryan Clauson is one of the drivers on the ladder as after winning the USAC Championship, he was given five free races in a Firestone Indy Lights Car to see if he could impress team owners.

    As they try to attract more drivers and fans to the series, Bernard has made huge announcements towards the final Championship race in Las Vegas. Any fan who buys a ticket for any race during the season can get a free ticket to the championship as Bernard says it’s a way to build loyalty between the series and the fans. They’ve also released a challenge to drivers around the world that can award them $5 million.

    “We think we’ve got the best drivers in the world – well, we’re putting our money where our mouth is,” he said. “We’ve challenged any race car driver in the world that thinks they can compete with ours and we’ve put up $5 million. All you have to do is come qualify for that race, win the race and we’ll write you a cheque for $5 million.”

    The other big change that Bernard has made that has brought forth more promotion for the series is the brand new car, which is set to debut next year.

    “It’s going to be a much more innovative car, relevant to technology,” Bernard spoke of during the presentation. “We decided to cut our engines from a V8 to a V6, take it from a 3.5 maximum displacement to a 2.2 maximum displacement. We’re going to be a turbo charge; we’re going to direct injected. We’re going from 630 horsepower up to 700 horsepower and we will be able to improve our fuel – we’re going from an E85 to an E90. The other big thing here on the cars is our aero kits. I’m not sure if we’re going to announce this this year or next year, but every car will have its own identity. Very important to our series – just not sure because of the cost and complexity of it if we’re see this in 2012 and 2013.”

    In doing the promoting and bringing forth the new car in 2012, Bernard spoke critically of attracting fans to the sport and making the series its own, separate from other racing divisions.

    “We need to define ourselves in the form of our motorsports – different and separate us from everyone else – F1 and NASCAR,” he said. “We are the fastest, more versatile series in the world; no one can deny that. The fact that we race ovals, road course, and street courses at the speeds that we do is what separates us. We’re going to be 40-50 mph faster than NASCAR. F1 doesn’t do ovals. Matter of fact, most of those drivers are afraid to get into an IndyCar to do an oval because of the danger element. The other thing I think that is very important is that we need to go back to our roots.”

    He went on to add that the promoting is needed as during the Champ Camp-Indy Racing League split in 1996, they lost 15 million fans. His goal is to attract those fans as he knows that they’re out there and they still do support the series.  

    With the all the promoting that’s going on to grow the series, a lot of people are wondering what will happen if Danica Patrick chooses to go full-time NASCAR in 2012 and what effect that will have on IndyCar. To that, Bernard says the series is in a good state and he’s more worried about keeping Go Daddy on board.

    “I think the world of Danica,” he commented. “I think she’s going to make the right decision for her and I will wish her well whichever decision she makes. She’s done a lot for our sport and that’s what we need to remember. I think that she’ll probably go where the money is the best and I think that’s what I would do, you would do as well, and I think it’s more important right now I focus my attention to Go Daddy and make sure that I can keep Go Daddy apart of our series. I think without Go Daddy, Danica Patrick wouldn’t have the fame that she has and I’m looking out for the long term of our sport.

    “It’s not any different when Mario left our sport or when Jordan or Shaq just left NBA. I think there will always be drivers or athletes that leave their sport and we’ve got a great pipeline of great new talent. We just Marco win his second race, first one in five years; we see great drivers like Graham Rahal, Charlie Kimball, J.R. Hildebrand – he’s an American who almost won the 500 in his rookie year. I mean, we’ve got a great pipeline right now and I’m glad it was next year instead of this year. I think we’ll be more prepared for it, as well as the new car with Chevy, Honda, Lotus.”

    Next weekend, the IZOD IndyCar Series will be center stage in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the Honda Indy, July 8th through the 10th.

    “We’re going to celebrate our 25th Anniversary here this year,” Bernard said of the event during his presentation. “With one year it didn’t take place, and if it hadn’t been for Honda, Toronto and Savoree Green making sure there’d be something here, it could’ve gone away. The fact that they believed in it, we’re back on course. If there’s one message I hope you get out of here today, IndyCar is back.”

    This year, Green Savoree Toronto invested millions into the track in updating the track barriers to the latest technology and to clean the facility up to present the best possible event as Bernard stated that he doesn’t want “to take IndyCar outside the country (United States) unless it’s going to be a big event.”

    “I think Toronto, being one of the largest cities in North America, will always be a very important city for IndyCar,” he added later. “IndyCar is on the rise and we want to showcase our sport in great cities and that’s what Toronto does. I like to see the promoter here investing millions of dollars in his race because it’s only makes the racing that much bigger and better.”

    To help with promoting the event, Honda Dealers Canada has created “Free Friday” where fans can get into the grounds and access the Paddocks (where the teams work on the cars), which has been used a good promotional tool to get fans to come back Saturday and Sunday.

    “I think that what we need to do is continue to educate fans on what we’re trying to do,” he said. “I think the Honda Day out here is huge. Anybody can get a free ticket from Honda and come out to the track and see what’s going on, I think they’ll be blown away to see these cars go at the speed their going and have a beer and relax in the sun. How does it get any better in the beautiful city of Toronto?”

    With all the hype going into the event, there are three Canadian drivers entered who each have the pedigree and ability to take the checkered flag.

    “I think that James Hinchcliffe, Paul Tracy or Alex Tagliani – any three of those – could win this event and I think if it happens, it just sets the race up for the following year to be that much better,” Bernard commented. “But I think all three of them have a great shot this year. This year, with what we’ve seen halfway through the season, is that we have seven different team owners out of the top 10 and I think that’s remarkable. That shows you how deep our racing is going now.”

    One of the big stories for Canadians going into this year’s event would be Tagliani, who won the pole for the Indianapolis 500, which is a highlight in Bernard’s book.

    “Last year, he fought and fought to have that team and this year, he was able to partner Sam Schmidt – here’s a guy that was paralyzed in a car – and the fact that they’ve come together and been very successful,” Bernard said during the presentation. “They won the pole at Indy this year, which is no small feat at all. To me, in my sixteen months I’ve been here, I will say that’s in the top three highlights of my career here so far. The fact that I was sitting up in the grandstands and here’s a small team, not a Penske or Ganassi that just took the pole for the Indy 500, was a pretty amazing event. The fact that we’ll have these three Canadians compete here is big for us.”

    The competition promises to be strong in Toronto as it has been all year with seven different team owners out of the top 10 cars. Bernard also put forth the promise that it’d be strong competition, especially with the double-file restarts.

    “Going to the double-file (restarts), it’s created a lot of carnage and wrecks, which the drivers hate, and allowed us to see a lot more passing and overtake and see guys like last weekend, like Scott Dixon, going from 28th to 3rd, so you’ll see a lot more passing than you’ve ever seen before in Toronto and that’s a promise.”

  • Will Power Cleared To Drive After Wreck at Iowa, Tests at Mid-Ohio

    Following a hard hit in the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier on June 25th at Iowa Speedway during Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer, Will Power was back at it behind the wheel, testing the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

    Following the wreck, Power suffered a minor concussion and in which per IndyCar rules, Power took the ImPACT (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) test and was re-evaluated.

    “It’s good to be back out there in the Verizon car,” Power said, who enters Toronto second in the championship standings, 20 points behind Dario Franchitti. “It was a hard hit at Iowa, but I didn’t actually get knocked out or anything. I just had a headache for the first night and some neck soreness. I needed to get checked out by the INDYCAR officials and it was more precautionary than anything, but that’s good, because you can never be too careful.

    “Every driver does a test, called an ImPACT test, at the beginning of every season. It basically tests your reflexes, your memory and so on. Then you have to go back and do that test again if you have an incident like what we had in Iowa. I took the test (June 28) and the doctors cleared me to drive.”

    As a result of being cleared on July 28th, Power was on hand testing with Team Penske teammates Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe, along with Dale Cyone Racing’s James Jakes. The IZOD IndyCar Series visits the 2.258-mile on August 7th for the 50th Anniversary Honda Indy 200.

    The next race for the IZOD IndyCar Series is the Honda Indy Toronto, July 8th-10th, which Will Power won last year.

    “I’m glad we got the chance to test here at Mid-Ohio to get ready for the road courses coming up,” Power said. “Now I’m looking forward to going back to Toronto next week and trying to defend our win there with Verizon Team Penske.”

    Before racing in Toronto, Power will also participate in another test New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s driver Pippa Mann.

    IZOD IndyCar Series officials require drivers to take the ImPACT test at teh beginning of the year to set a baseline test as drivers are suspectiable to concussions and other head and neck injuries during crashess. Before a driver is allowed to enter an event, they are required to establish their baseline data by performing the 30-minute, computerized ImPACT test, which measures a range of neurocognitive functions including memory, reaction time, attention span and more. The test measures a driver’s cognitive abilities under normal, healthy conditions. If a driver suffers a head injryy, they are required to take the test and the doctors will compare the results with the baseline to determine the severity of the injury and best possible treatment.

  • Honda Canada VP Jerry Chenkin Addresses Media About IndyCar Series

    As part of the IZOD IndyCar Series Media Lunchon in Toronto, Honda Canada Vice President Jerry Chenkin was on hand to discuss Honda’s involvement and his thoughts on Randy Bernard so far during Bernard’s 16 months of being the CEO of the IZOD IndyCar Series. Here is the full statement from Chenkin at the luncheon:

    In just a little more than one year behind the IndyCar wheel, Randy Bernard has already initiated some fantastic things for the series making more interesting, I think you will all agree, and more fan friendly, with a new focus on a younger age bracket.

    At Honda Canada, we know and share similar challenges that Randy has tackled. First, our organizations are both proud leaders in increasingly competitive markets that are undergoing dramatic changes, which require a more proactive approach with more brand recognition than ever before. Second, we both faced with battling two complete different groups with unique needs – those that are loyal to our brands through consistency and familiar value and those within the younger demographic, seeking things that are new and unique to them.

    Three years ago, Honda Canada met with Kevin Savoree and his partners at that time – Michael Andretti was involved – and saw an opportunity to address both of these challenges by aligning ourselves with the premiere event in Canada, the Honda Indy. Now as sure as you all know, Honda’s racing and engine heritage speaks for itself so when the opportunity came to support IndyCar racing and remind our customers that Honda is not just any car company, we felt it was too good to ignore. After all, its fierce competition continues to drive our organization not only to create not only the best engines in the world, but the best cars, trucks, motorcycles, marine and power equipment as well.

    Today, we are exceptionally proud to see our name on the event that has the world’s best engines, fastest cars and the greatest drivers to drive.

    We’re also excited to see what Randy has in store for the IZOD IndyCar Series. In his previous role, Randy managed to take the brand of professional bull riders business from just $2000 to more than $20 million in just 10 years. In February of last year, Randy was named the CEO of the IZOD IndyCar Series.

    We presented him with a new set of challenges in a new arena, so to speak. He was drawn to the opportunity after recognizing the sport’s raw potential, a potential driven to its great competition and entertainment value that it provides for its fan. Since climbing behind the wheel for IndyCar, Randy has taken steps to set IndyCar apart from its competitors and reunite it with its heritage, with its IndyCar name and statistics dating back to its first Indy 500 in 1911.

  • Marco Andretti Puts Andretti Autosport Back on Track with Win at Iowa

    Marco Andretti Puts Andretti Autosport Back on Track with Win at Iowa

    [media-credit id=2 align=”aligncenter” width=”500″][/media-credit]
    Marco Andretti (26) and Tony Kanaan (82) battle for the lead late in the race at Iowa Speedway.
    Since 2003, Andretti Autosport has been competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series and since, they have three championships, two Indianapolis 500 victories and 36 wins. The problem was none of that success came recently – till last Saturday.

    Last Saturday, Marco Andretti won the Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer at Iowa Speedway on June 25th, 0.7932 seconds over Tony Kanaan.

    “It was a big win for us for sure,” team owner Michael Andretti said. “I think a lot of people were really pounding on us and thought we were down and out, but I can tell you this team has got tons of fight in it and we are never out.”

    [media-credit id=2 align=”alignright” width=”275″][/media-credit]
    Marco Andretti holds the Iowa Indy Corn 250 trophy after winning Saturday's race in Newton, Iowa.
    Back in 2007 with Dario Franchitti, the team won the Indianapolis 500 and the championship and in their first four season, had a total of four victories. Though since then, they had yet to find that type of success.

    This year has been a different story as they won earlier this season with Mike Conway and now with Andretti.

    “I’m happy for all the Venom guys; they did a great job,” Michael Andretti continued. “The last pit stop they brought him out P1. They did it when we needed it. It was just really truly a team effort, and Marco drove a hell of a race there in the end. He was beating the best. He had Tony out there, he had Dario, (Scott) Dixon and he drove very well there in the end.

    “I’m just so happy and relieved for (Marco). There’s been a huge monkey on his back, and it was on mine, as well. There was just a lot of pressure on us, him as a driver, me as an owner, because of some of the past things that happened at Indy and stuff. So to come back and win like this, it was just a great, great day.”

    Nine races into the year, Andretti Autosports’ four drivers Danica Patrick, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Conway and Andretti have scored four top-fives and 12 top-10 finishes. While Andretti won the Iowa race, Patrick posted her third consecutive top 10 after starting on the front row while Hunter-Reay finished eighth.

    Meanwhile, for Andretti, the win marked Andretti’s first win since Infineon Raceway in 2006 (stretching 78-races).

    “We’ve been in a position to win a lot of races and we’ve come up short,” Andretti said. “I never doubted the team, never doubted myself. I always said as soon as the stars were aligned and a little bit of luck goes my way that we’d be sitting here.

    “I think it’s just the drought, so to speak, just made me appreciate what we have here in IndyCar racing. From the drivers to the teams, it just makes us appreciate being here that much more because we know we beat those guys. The competition is unbelievable.”

  • Marco Andretti Charges By Tony Kanaan To Win Iowa Corn Indy 250

    Marco Andretti Charges By Tony Kanaan To Win Iowa Corn Indy 250

    The final 50 laps of the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer at Iowa Speedway would be a showstopper as it’d be Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan battling back and forth for the win.

    In the end, Andretti used one of his remaining overtake boosts to get by Kanaan with 19 to go and then used the other nine in the final 10 laps to secure it.

    [media-credit id=2 align=”alignright” width=”246″][/media-credit]”Never doubt these guys,” Andretti said after the race after scoring his first win since Sonoma in 2007. “We’re down a little bit on the big ovals, but when it comes down to the end, we’ll be alright. These guys in the pits got me back in front with the great pit stop. Great racing with TK – it was fun.”

    The second career win for Andretti marks the first win on an oval by an Andretti since 2000 when Michael Andretti won at Japan.

    After a caution on lap 186 for Takumo Sato getting in the wall, Andretti lined up side-by-side with Kanaan on the restart. The first restart with 60 to go was called off for Andretti jumping, but the second was good to go.

    The pair battled back and forth, trading the lead four times before Andretti secured the lead with a thrilling pass heading into turn one underneath Kanaan.

    “I had eyes in the back of my head and I made it difficult on him,” Andretti said. “No mercy at this point. I needed it.”

    Kanaan would get credited with second, keeping his string of solid runs going.

    “I told him if it wasn’t for the win, we were going to talk about it so fair enough,” Kanaan said afterwards of racing with Andretti. “If I was in his position, I would’ve done the same. It was a great battle. A fun race.”

    Meanwhile, it was Scott Dixon finishing third after starting 23rd on the field.

    “It was a great night for us,” Dixon said. “It’s a good finish. The car wasn’t that great. The guys in the pits did a helluva job. Its obviously a good points night for Dario and I. It was crazy back there early on, but there was some good, close racing near the end.”

    JR Hildebrand and Dario Franchitti would round out the top five. Ryan Briscoe would finish sixth, followed by Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe and Danica Patrick.

    Throughout the night, a couple drivers took some hard hits, including Will Power, who backed it into the wall on lap 90. The incident came after substaining damage on pit road from contact with Charlie Kimball on lap 14.

    “It was definitely a hard hit,” Power said, after coming into Iowa tied for the points lead with Dario Franchitti. “The Verizon car was damaged after the incident in the pits and we just had a problem with the steering and it came around on me. It’s a tough result for us tonight. We’ll do our best to get it back next race.”

    Power would be evaluated and it’d be determined that he suffered a minor concussion. IndyCar officials said that before he can compete in Toronto in two weeks, he will need to be cleared.

    Other drivers taking hard hits would be Ana Beatriz and Mike Conway in a big wreck early on and Sebastian Saavedra (Lap 116), though everybody was checked out and released as being okay.

  • Indianapolis 500: Dixon Leads Final Practice, Briscoe Wins Pit Stop Competition

    On Miller Lite Carb Day, Scott Dixon led the final practice session with a quick lap of 225.474mph.

    “It’s more of just a systems check,” Dixon said, who will start second on Sunday. “The car’s obviously been in a million pieces since we last drove them. It’s just to make sure they’re all functioning. We came in and did a few pit stops. Because of the lack of on-track time that we’ve had, we made a few changes. We tried some dampers, aero downforce levels, things like that. It’s obviously very cold and probably not very close or in line with what we’re going to run in on Sunday. All in all, it was pretty decent. The car was good. There was loads of traffic. There was lots of action going on out there with people speeding up and slowing down. It was pretty good for both Target cars.”

    Pole Sitter Alex Tagliani was second on the speed charts at a speed of 224.739mph for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

    “Yeah, it was an amazing week that we had last week,” Tagliani said. “We’re really fortunate that we rolled the car off the trailer fast. The team has done a great job to fine-tune it. Every day we were out there, and we were strong. So it’s been a pleasure for me to drive a very competitive car. Today it was nice to be back on track. Obviously, we have a very different car that we’re going to drive in the race. And I feel the car is very racey. I love it in traffic. It got some consistency out of the car on the older tires. So I don’t know. It seems to me to be unreal and too good to be true sometimes. But I want to think that we deserve it. We did everything better than everyone else, and hopefully it will continue. All winter long, the team fine-tuned the car. They just put their love into it, brought it back this year. Same car, same aerodynamic package, same track, and the car did better. So Penske and Ganassi have done that 10 years in a row. They have done the particular program that we have done for one race 10 years in row: Have a good car and keep improving it every year. And we’re trying to close the gap in a year and a half. It’s not an easy task.”

    With the single car operation, Tagliani has been turning a lot of heads, including Dixon’s.

    “Tag has done a hell of a job this month,” Dixon said. “It’s good to see that it’s been working so well. You know, you’re never going to know until you get to the race. He’s a good friend, and I’m definitely proud to see what he’s achieved, obviously, with a start-up team and to be able to mix it up with the big teams.”

    Tagliani says when he leads the first lap in the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, it will mean a lot.

    “I’ve been very appreciative of what’s happened to me as a driver,” Tagliani said. “But what we don’t want to forget is that we have the chance to participate in a historical event. And to just have the chance to qualify in it is already a big thing. Leading the field, I think it’s going to be something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

    Meanwhile, Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti was third at a speed of 224.658mph.

    “We can always learn something from today,” he said. “It will be a lot different on Sunday. We think we know how to turn the car around for those conditions. It will be a tough race. I think there is less grip than last year, and that’s going to make it really interesting. The slower speed (start and restarts) will be better. We may be going 190 into the first turn on the start. Turn 2 will be Turn 1 speed from years past. Restarts, I still don’t agree with side-by-side, I think we’re just asking for a bit of marbles. Whatever happens will be interesting, it will be slick and interesting. Dixie (Scott Dixon) looks strong. He’s going to be tough. We’re pretty strong, but just like the month I had last year, he (Dixon) has been on a rail all month. I followed (Alex) Tagliani, and he looks pretty average in traffic. But when he gets off the corner, he really goes. He will be plenty tough to beat. There are a bunch of people you just know who will be there (challenging for the win). (Dan) Wheldon will contend, the Penske cars will be strong, and there will be others. It’s wide open.”

    Victor Meira was fourth at a speed of 224.480mph with Dan Wheldon rounding out the top five at 224.439mph.

    Meanwhile, Ryan Briscoe’s No. 6 IZOD Team Penske team won the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Competition as they defeated Dario Franchitti’s Target Chip Ganassi Racing team in the final round. His pit crew received a $50,000 first prize. Penske Racing has now won the competition a record 13 times, including the last six times in a row, though marks the first for Ryan Briscoe.

    “I think what you saw now is a taste of what these guys are going to be doing for me in the race, and it’s so important,” Briscoe said. “I put so much pride in their pit stops, and I’m just lucky to have the best guys in pit lane. Helio has definitely been the favorite over the past few years, but I’ve got this guy (Matt) and I was never looking at who was beside me. We were really consistent, and after the first one we just wanted to keep repeating. They did it all. The Penske pride in the competition goes back a ways, so we don’t want to show up here and not be in the competition.”

    Meanwhile for chief mechanic Matt Jonsson, it marks his second win as he led Sam Hornish Jr.’s team in 2005.

    “This win means a lot,” he said. “It adds confidence for Sunday, of course, and we’re planning on doing the same thing on Sunday and trying to move up through the field. We win as a team and lose as a team, and that’s our job on Sunday, to try to move up the field. Ryan came in on a consistent speed, stopped right on his marks. That’s key for us. We don’t have to adjust; we just do the same thing every time. If everyone stays calm and collected, that’s the way it turns out to be: consistent.”

    The winner of the competition has gone on to win the Indianapolis 500 six times, most recently with Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves in 2009.

  • IndyCar: Red Hot Indianapolis 500 Rookie Pippa Mann

    IndyCar: Red Hot Indianapolis 500 Rookie Pippa Mann

    Pippa Mann may not be a household name as of yet.  However, this British IZOD Indycar Series racer will be the latest woman to attempt qualifying for the prestigious Indianapolis 500 centennial race.

    This year’s rookie hopes to compete with fellow female drivers Danica Patrick, Simona de Silvestro and Ana Beatriz on the starting grid.  If Mann makes the grid, she will make history as the first British woman to race in the Indy 500.

    Mann has teamed up with Conquest Racing as driver of the #36 car for this year’s Indy 500.  She completed the Rookie Orientation Program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by  turning consistent laps at four speed phases: 200-205 mph (five laps) and 10 laps each at 205-210 mph, 210-215 and 215 or more, driving a total of 35 laps on the 2.5 mile oval, with a fastest average speed of 219.116 mph.

    Weather has limited track time for drivers so far this week.  This has allowed Mann to make it out on the track for two of the five practice days.  Mann is hoping to make the most of the two practice days left before Pole Day.

    Mann is the first and only woman to win a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2010 Freedom 100 race.  During her successful 2010 Firestone Indy Light Series season, Mann secured three poles, a win and finished fifth among the series drivers.

    @BimbolenaSports

  • Mike Conway Wins Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Completes Comeback

    Last year after Mike Conway suffered a severe back and leg injury after a crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he was determined to get back in a car. He hooked up with Andretti Autosport and completed the comeback today as he won the race.

    Conway took the lead from Ryan Briscoe in turn six of the 1.968-mile, 11 turn Long Beach street circuit, on lap 72 of 85.

    “I made the same move on Dario (Franchitti),” Conway said. “It was like they were struggling to get temperature in the tires. My car was good to go. I just took my time and picked my point, and was able to pull away.

    “As soon as I got in the lead, I was thinking of winning already. But I knew I had to forget about it and get with the job at hand. The car was great. I could push all the time and control the gap. I made a mistake on a pit stop when I locked up. I thought our day might be done, but we had to hang in there and push all the way. On the restarts the car was awesome and it just came to life.”

    This marked the first victory for Andretti Autosport’s first victory since June at Iowa Speedway.

    “His comeback is now complete,” team owner Michael Andretti said. “The first time we put him in a race car, I could tell he had potential. I’m just so happy he was able to (win) this early and win one of the greatest races here in Long Beach. I’m just so proud of him and the whole Window World Cares team.”

    Briscoe, who led practice, finished second while reigning series champion Dario Franchitti finished third.

    In only his second start, James Hinchcliffe finished fourth while Alex Tagliani finished fifth.

    “The guys did such a good job getting the back-up car going this afternoon,” said Hinchcliffe, the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights championship runner-up.  “We were able to save fuel when we needed to, push when we needed to.”

    Orio Servia manged to finished sixth after avoiding contact on the final restart.

    “We had a strong performance the whole weekend and the team keeps moving forward,” Servia said. “But I do have a bit of a bad taste in my mouth because this was probably the best race car I have ever had in a race and a podium was within reach.

    “I had to do a little bit of a circus maneuver to get back on track and that obviously cost us the podium there but we finished sixth and it could have been a lot worse.”

    Danica Patrick finished seventh, followed by Tony Kanaan, Victor Meira and Will Power.

    Power got caught back in the field after being bumped from behind by teammate Helio Castroneves in turn one on lap 66.

    “I’m not really sure what happened on the restart,” Power said. “I got hit from behind by Helio but sometimes that’s what happens in racing – especially close racing like this with the double-file restarts.  It wasn’t a great day for points, but Verizon Team Penske will keep working hard and move forward.”

    Castroneves, meanwhile, finished 12th.

    “I’m really not sure what to say,” Castroneves said. “I feel terrible for Will. I wasn’t even trying to pass, but we just made contact. Will is my teammate, and of course you just can’t take each other out. It’s just very unfortunate and I have to say I’m sorry to the team.”

    Last year’s winner Ryan Hunter-Reay finished 23rd after falling off the pace on lap 70 and pitting.

    “Basically, we couldn’t shift,” Hunter-Reay said. “It’s frustrating because the DHL/Sun Drop car was running strong and challenging for the lead. I really think we could have gotten Briscoe once his tires started falling off. I was hoping for a second win here.”

  • IndyCar: Dragon Racing To Make Debut at Long Beach with Paul Tracy

    Jay Penske, former co-owner de Ferran Dragon Racing and Luczo Dragon Racing, today announced the formation of Dragon Racing, a new team created to compete in the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series. The team will make its debut this weekend on April 17th at the Long Beach Grand Prix with Paul Tracy behind the wheel of their No. 8 entry.

    “We are very excited to be returning to the IZOD IndyCar Series and delighted to have a driver like Paul Tracy piloting the race car,” Penske said. “Paul is an outstanding driver and we are confident this partnership will become the building blocks for something longer term. After discussing available options with my former co-owners, and with their full support, I decided to take a different path and as a result I am extremely pleased to continue the Dragon name with a team that is substantially the same as our 2010 lineup managed by 21-year-veteran John Cummiskey.” Tracy enters his 21st-season of Indy Car Racing, which includes four past wins at Long Beach. In his career, he has 31 wins, 25 poles, 75 career podium finishes, 102 top-five finishes, has led 4,238 laps and won the Camp Car World Series Championship in 2003. “It’s great to be racing again, and I’m excited to be working with Dragon Racing,” Tracy said. “I explored several options for the 2011 season, and partnering with Jay Penske makes it that much more special for me. I’ve known Jay for many years, since my time with Penske Racing. After just a few discussions I realized we shared the same vision and that the newly formed Dragon Racing team was the best fit for my extended return to the IndyCar Series. We’ve been working hard to bring this partnership to life, and I look forward to competitive runs at a number of tracks I’ve had success in the past.” Tracy will drive four more races for the team – Texas, Toronto, Edmonton and Sonoma. Dragon Racing is also looking to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500 with a driver that has yet to named. “Even though we are initially only running a limited schedule, the team is very realistic and understands we will face challenges together during the season,” Penske said. “However, with Paul’s talent, and our crew’s collective racing experience of over 150 years, I feel that we can be competitive at any race we compete in and may even surprise a few people along the way.” Ralphs Grocery will be the team’s primary sponsor for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, with the addition of extended sponsorship from Motegi Racing and Wheel Pros. “Motegi and Wheel Pros have a strong association with racing, and we are thrilled to join with Dragon Racing in support of Paul Tracy this season,” said Jody Groce, President of Wheel Pros. “We have been a long-time sponsor of Paul and to be a part his new partnership with Dragon is just great for our brands and associates throughout the organization. We look forward to helping bring the team back to prominence within the IZOD IndyCar Series.” The team will have additional sponsor news, to be announced soon.

  • IZOD IndyCar Series: Are Double File Restarts The Way To Go?

    This year, the IZOD IndyCar Series adapted a new rule of using double-file restarts.

    So far this year, it has produced some interesting race as it has caused accidents in both the season opener at St. Petersburg and this past weekend at Alabama.

    “I still believe we need to try to take care of each other a little more,” Tony Kanaan said after the race. “I mean, every one of them we had a crash, so it’s not a coincidence. But every one of them we have a lot of passing too, so it’s a trade there. It’s only the second race. I would give us a chance for us to settle in and make sure that that’s going to work. Do I like it? I mean, it plays in my favor big time, but no, I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to work for it and make it. If it’s exciting for racing and for all of us, why not. We’re going to have to figure it out.

    “We’re driving the cars. It’s not like we crash all the time. Well, you’re driving it. You have to take care of each other. You have to to give each other room. Things are going to happen, but I’m 50‑50 right now. I would say, yeah, it’s playing in my favor right now. If it was single file, would I have passed that many cars? I don’t think so. So we’ll try to make it work. I got told that the fans liked it, so we’ll see. We’ll see how the crowd looked at it. I’m just a driver. They tell me what I’m going to do, and I’m going to have to do it, you know.”

    Looking at a lap-by-lap analysis of Alabama, you can tell see how the restarts played a big role in incidents happening throughout the day.

    On lap 1, JR Hildebrand and Raphael Matos made contact causing Matos to spin.

    On the lap 41 restart for the lap 37 caution, Simona de Silvestro, James Hinscliffe and EJ Viso wrecked. Helio Castroneves made it three-wide, which made things tight, causing drivers to make contact with each other.

    The restart came on lap 46, which another incident then took place as Mike Conway got hooked into the wall by his teammate Danica Patrick.

    The restart came on lap 50, and then six laps later, Ryan Hunter-Reay bounced off the curb into Ryan Briscoe.

    The restart came on lap 62, which then on lap 63, Justin Wilson wrecked after he hit Rapael Matos, causing him to turn back into him.

    The good side of it is that it has provided some solid side-by-side racing, including Kanaan passing 10 cars in four laps.

    It has also helped in creating rivaleries and solid competition between drivers, as displayed by Scott Dixon and Will Power. Dixon felt that Power was breaking one of the restart rules with how he was swapping lines after crossing the start-finish line. He complained to series officials while his team owner Chip Ganassi went down to Power’s pit and threatened to wreck him if he did it again.

    “Brian as usual does nothing about it,” Dixon said after the race. “So if they’re going to implement these rules and tell you in the drivers’ meeting that the person on the left has to be to the left center of the line, then enforce it. At least tell them. I spoke to Will after the race, and he said well, I never heard anything on the radio. But if you look at the restarts, I’m pretty much on the grass almost. And he’s even over the center line on the right part of the center line. I know why he’s doing it. He’s trying to get out of the dirty side. But you can’t have the best of both worlds. If you’re going to pick the inside and then run the car on the right that’s not how it should be. All in all, I don’t think it would change much, but I think it’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

    “I think that the rule is that you can be anywhere on the track after the start/finish line,” Power said. “Simple as that. That’s what I was told on the start/finish line. I was told on the radio he was upset with me for putting him almost in the grass. I would have given him more room. I didn’t realize that’s what the problem was. All he did is come up beside me and take a big weave at me. If they told me what the problem was, I would have helped him out there.”

    Double-file restarts may not be a good deal on a road course as you have to turn left and right so therefore you have people crowding each other as they try to manuever the course. This is a solid rule that has been a plus for the IZOD IndyCar Series, though maybe its something that should be saved for ovals as that way you don’t have the issue of people getting crowded.