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Just what does Will Power have to do to get a win? His miserable streak of luck extended to a fifth race at Barber Motorsports Park. This time he led 60 laps before a left-rear tyre deflation sent him into the pits to an eventual finishing position of 14th.

Penske team mate Josef Newgarden profited and the team’s newest member became the first of their drivers to win a race this year. Newgarden was the only one of the quartet not to reach the ‘fast six’ in qualifying but an aggressive opening stint on the harder tyres plus some feisty passes at turn 16 moved him into position behind Power. The decisive moved proved to be a pass on Scott Dixon which reclaimed a place Newgarden had lost in the pits.

Fernando Alonso had his first look at an IndyCar race ahead of his Indianapolis 500 debut. Alonso might have enjoyed what he saw in terms of the racing but it was a largely disappointing day for the Andretti squad he will drive for at Indianapolis. Ryan Hunter-Reay’s race never recovered following lap one contact with James Hinchcliffe which damaged his front wing. Technical trouble spoiled Marco Andretti’s race before it started. That left last year’s Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi as the team’s highest finisher in fifth.

An uneventful race for points leader Sebastien Bourdais leaves the top five drivers in the standings covered by just 15 points after three races. Power languishes in 14th, which is even lower than he was at this stage last year having missed the season-opener. He’ll get his next chance to turn his luck around at Phoenix on Saturday.

Edited by Rad-oh-yeah?, 24 April 2017 - 14:57.

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Barber, cela trka u HD:

 

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MILLER: New star at Penske
Monday, 24 April 2017
By Robin Miller / Images by LAT & IMS Photo


It was an expression I've seldom seen in the 49 years I've spent around Roger Penske. The man whose cars have now won 188 IndyCar races and 14 championships was downright giddy after Josef Newgarden's victory at Barber Motorsports Park.

"He kept Scott Dixon behind him for what, the last 20 laps?" said The Captain of his first-year driver. "I mean, that's impressive isn't it? He made a great move to get around Dixon and then held him off.

"What a job that kid did. That was Scott Dixon."

Newgarden's first of what figures to be many wins for Team Penske illustrated why he got hired to replace Juan Montoya and why the 26-year-old native of Hendersonville, Tenn. has been a force on any track the past couple seasons.



Starting seventh because he gambled on scuffed red tires in qualifying and just missed the Fast Six, Newgarden opted for black tires at the green flag and promptly blew past James Hinchcliffe and teammate Simon Pagenaud before the first pit stop.

He leapfrogged Helio Castroneves and Dixon on that stop and found himself in second behind polesitter Will Power. As the third race of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar series headed into the stretch it was Power, Newgarden and Dixon separated by a couple seconds.

A caution with 22 laps left brought that trio into the pits one last time and Dixon's crew got him out second between the two Penske Chevys. On the restart, Newgarden dived inside the four-time IndyCar champ at Turn 16 and snatched second place.



"I like passing people there – I got Hinch earlier and I think with Scott I might have surprised him a little bit," said Newgarden. "It got him a little off-line and I was under him."

Following the podium celebration Dixon tipped his hat. "I usually keep it pretty tight around there but I was loose and he was really good in those last few corners, so it was a great move on his part."

Of course that only made one of the best performers of the past 25 years more intent on reclaiming the top spot and he had twice as much push-to-pass in his arsenal. But the young man who was allowed to hone his craft and mature thanks to Sarah Fisher, Wink Hartman and Ed Carpenter, did the unthinkable and kept Dixon behind him. And when Power punctured a tire and had to pit with 14 laps to go, Newgarden reaped the reward.

"Tough deal for Will – he led most of the race and was really strong but it's happened to all of us," said Newgarden. "You've got to seize your opportunities."

In the litany of stars that have graced The Captain's roster since he went full-time IndyCar racing in 1971, few have seized it as quickly. It took Pagenaud 19 starts to get that first win, Paul Tracy 17, Mark Donohue 16, 11 for Tom Sneva and Montoya, seven for Rick Mears and Castroneves, five for Gil de Ferran and Power. Al Unser Jr matched Newgarden in winning on his third start back in 1994. Only Danny Sullivan (start number two, the 1985 Indy 500) and Sam Hornish, who won his 2004 debut, have made R.P. smile quicker.

Newgarden scored a podium in his second start and a win in his third – and first time out for sponsor Fitzgerald Glider Kits. I've been saying for four years he's the Penske Perfect driver because of his sponsor-perfect demeanor, media savvy, fan friendliness and prodigious talent.

"I think he's got a great future," said Penske as he skipped (OK that's an exaggeration) off towards Victory Lane.

But what a great start.

Noteworthy at Barber...



• As first impressions go, Fernando Alonso wowed the IndyCar paddock and press corps with his honestly, openness and sense of humor. The two-time world driving champion gave one of the most entertaining press conferences since Alex Zanardi, mingled with the fans on the grid and repeatedly gave the Indianapolis 500 his ringing endorsement. "It's the greatest race in the world and I'm looking forward to being part of it," he said several times.

• Spencer Pigot was having another fine race when he spun out while running eighth in ECR's Fuzzy's Chevy. The 2015 Indy Lights champ started 17th and made some nifty passes just like he did at St. Pete and was pulling away from veterans Tony Kanaan and Sebastien Bourdais when he made a mistake. "And it wasn't even for position, it was a lapped car, so I feel terrible for my crew," said Pigot, who may run Phoenix if J.R. Hildebrand's broken hand isn't sufficiently healed.

• A.J. Foyt missed Barber and won't be at Phoenix as he recovers from his stem cell surgery but Super Tex is on the mend and definitely will be in Indy next month.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

U subotu 29. Aprila na programu je prvi oval Indikar sezone 2017:

 

 

Staza u Finiksu je otvorena 1964. godine i zamenila je stariju stazu koja je bila aktivna jos od 1915. godine, sto znaci da Indi trke u Arizoni imaju dugu i bogatu tradiciju. Kratki oval duzine 1 milje, nestandardnog oblika - 5 krivina, originalno dizajnirana za Indikar sa vrlo malim nagibom u krivinama ali je 2010. "naskarizovana" pa je povecan nagib sto je u sadasnjoj konfiguraciji ne cini bas najpogodnijom za Indikar. Prosle godine vracena na kalendar nakon 10-godisnje pauze, pobedio je Skot Dikson u ne bas preterano uzbudljivoj trci gde smo gledali "vozic" od pocetka do kraja. Za ovu godinu uradjene su odredjene izmene na stazi koje bi, tako se nadaju organizatori, trebale da omoguce lakse preticanje.

 

Od aktivnih vozaca, osim pomenutog Diksona, ovde su pobedjivali jos i Kastroneves i Kanan dvaput, doduse to je bilo na staroj konfiguraciji staze. Rekorderi po broju pobeda ovde su Fojt, Al Anser i Gordon Dzonkok sa po 5 pobeda. Mario Andreti, Dzoni Raterford i Bobi Anser imaju po 4.

 

Trka je na programu u nedelju 3 ujutro po srednjeevropskom vremenu.

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Hildebrand cleared to return at Phoenix
Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Mark Glendenning / Image by IMS Photo


JR Hildebrand will return to the cockpit of the No.21 Ed Carpenter Racing entry for this weekend's IndyCar race at Phoenix after being sidelined with a broken hand.

Hildebrand was forced to miss last weekend's Barber race after breaking a bone in his left hand in a last-lap crash at Long Beach earlier this month. He underwent surgery on April 11, and the team confirmed on Tuesday that the 29-year-old has been given the all-clear to make his comeback.

"It's been a tricky couple of weeks working through this injury," said Hildebrand. "I'm certainly anxious to get back in the car! I feel like I'm far enough along to be able to go for it this weekend in Phoenix. I know we've got a good program; I want to be able to come through for the team at an event where we should be strong. Everyone has been super-helpful and I appreciate the hard work that everyone has put in to be able to get me back in."

Zach Veach was called up to make his IndyCar debut as Hildebrand's understudy in Alabama, qualifying and finishing 19th.

Meanwhile, this weekend will also feature a driver change in ECR's No.20 entry, with owner-driver Ed Carpenter to make his first appearance of the year.

"I am super excited to get back to Phoenix and start my driving season," said Carpenter. "We have had a several of tests since my last race in Pocono, but it will be good to get to get back to a race weekend as a driver. We had a great open test at Phoenix in February, and feel very confident heading into this weekend."

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Finiks u prvom licu, sa testiranja od zimus:

 

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Satnica vikenda: http://digbza2f4g9qo...20170426T113249

Startna lista: http://digbza2f4g9qo...20170425T164025

Raspored boksova: http://digbza2f4g9qo...20170423T225349

Zvanicni program: http://digbza2f4g9qo...20170425T164026

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Marko Andreti ima novog sponzora za ovu trku:

 

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Danasnji program sa Finiksa mozete uzivo pratiti ovde:

 

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Krenuo FP1, moze da se prati na linku gore, a tajming je ovde: http://racecontrol.indycar.com/

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Jak vetar u Finiksu u nekoliko navrata prekidao slobodni trening nanoseci oblake peska i prasine na stazu, ako se ovo nastavi i tokom kvalifikacija bice vrlo zajebano, narocito zato sto vozaci na stazu izlaze jedan po jedan pa ce u promenljivim uslovima rezultat puno zavisiti i od puke srece.

 

Sevi izdominirao, prvih 5 pozicija su Penskijeva cetvorka + Hildebrand. Hildebrandov gazda Karpenter je na zacelju, odvezao je samo 17 krugova pre nego sto je bolid razmontiran zbog problema sa rezervoarom za gorivo, jos uvek je u delovima i pitanje je hoce li uopste biti spreman za kvalifikacije.

 

 PhoenixFP1.png   106.47KB   1 downloads

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Sendvic u kvalifikacijama - 5 Sevroleta, pa sve Honde, pa 3 Sevroleta.

 

 PhoenixQ.png   89.29KB   1 downloads

 

Na polu Kastroneves ispred Pauera, najbolja Honda TK na 6. mestu, na zacelju Fojtov dvojac i Ed Karpenter koji je jedva sklepao bolid na vreme (njegov timski kolega Hildebrand je treci).

 

Kastroneves je oborio rekord staze prosecn0m brzinom od 194,905 milja na sat tokom dva kruga.

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- Karpenteru je tokom PF procureo rezervoar za gorivo u kokpit, sedeo je u gorivu, zato su morali kompletno da rastave bolid i on jos uvek nije bio 100% spreman za kvalifikacije, i otud najslabije vreme.

 

- Andreti je imao problema sa elektronikom, ali su oni otklonjeni na vreme za kvalifikacije.

 

- Ganasi je rotirao inzinjerske ekipe za bolide #10 (Kanan) i #83 (Kimbal).

 

- Pauer predlaze Indikaru da se na kratkim ovalima vozi aeropaket za superovale sa podesavanjima motora za redovne staze (100 KS vise).