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[Rad-oh-yeah?]

PRUETT: The Battle of Watkins Glen
Tuesday, 05 September 2017
By Marshall Pruett / Images by Phil Abbott/LAT



 
The final 12 laps of Sunday's IndyCar Grand Prix at Watkins Glen were a celebration of ragged-edge brilliance from two road racing monsters.

A young lion, on the cusp of an overdue follow-up victory after winning the Indy 500 as a rookie, being chased without mercy by the best IndyCar driver of his generation – a four-time series champion and four-time Watkins Glen winner – made for a thrilling showdown. Scott Dixon, known for catching his prey, came up short as he and Alexander Rossi waged a classic lap-for-lap duel in the sprint to the checkered flag.

Operating at maximum attack, the return from yellow saw Rossi post his first flying lap of 1m26.4091s to Dixon's 1m26.7086s: advantage Rossi by 0.2995s. Lap 51 saw Rossi inch forward with a 1m24.9191s lap to Dixon's 1m25.1203s: another advantage of 0.2012s. Lap 52 also went to Rossi who added 0.1722s to his lead – a modest yet invaluable 0.6729s considering who was on his heels.

Dixon struck back on Lap 53 with a 1m24.1463s, his best of the race which also cut 0.3469s from Rossi's lead. Returning the favor on Lap 54, Rossi set his best of the 60-lap contest with a 1m24.2821s, which clawed back 0.1233s from Dixon.

To full appreciate their torrid pace, third-place finisher Ryan Hunter-Reay, Rossi's Andretti Autosport teammate, was 0.8938s slower than Dixon on Lap 53. On Lap 54, where the two Andretti drivers set their fastest laps of the day, Hunter-Reay was 0.5735s down to Rossi. Together, the Rossi-Dixon train was in a different league on Sunday.

The sprint from Lap 55 through Lap 60 went by with the protagonists trading anywhere between hundredths to a tenth of a second. Rossi won Lap 55; Dixon took Lap 56; Rossi recaptured it on Lap 57 and 58, and Dixon won Lap 59 and 60 by a combined 0.1601s.

In the end, Dixon's late push wasn't enough, thanks to the strength of Rossi's opening laps, and he finished 0.9514s ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing's lead driver. Behind them, Hunter-Reay was a distant 7.192s arrears at the checkered flag.



Fully aware they took part in something rather extraordinary, Rossi and Dixon reveled in their Honda-powered battle royale.

"I knew he was going to be pushing like hell at the end, and so it was really 12 qualifying laps, and I had the car to do it," Rossi said. "We had time, we had the pace, the performance, the tire life – everything was going our way."

"It was fun to contend with Rossi there for the win," Dixon added. "Big congrats to him and good to see Honda run strong at Watkins Glen."

Dixon's race strategist, who's presided over almost all of his IndyCar victories, had nothing but praise for the winner.

"If people don't understand Rossi's background, they should read what he did to get to Europe," CGR's Mike Hull told RACER. "He won the North American Formula BMW championship, which catapulted him to the global championship where he won that shootout. Everything it takes to do that at such a young age speaks to what you can do under pressure.

"He did well as an American in Europe, and it says a lot about his character to get to the level that he reached with all the pressure he faced. Put him in a high-pressure situation like the one he was in with Scott Dixon behind him, and what we saw Sunday was a byproduct of his toughness. Personally, I have great respect for that."

An appreciation for Rossi's breakthrough performance was also found on his timing stand.

"When the yellow came out for the incident with Josef, the reaction was, 'Oh no...Scott's going to be right on our tail,'" said Rob Edwards, Rossi's race strategist and Andretti Autosport COO. "If you look at the record of his success, not only at Watkins Glen, Dixon's the benchmark which everyone measures themselves against. Having him behind you with 11 or 12 laps to go is not the position anyone wants to find themselves in, but absolutely hats off to Alex.

"He put his head down and opened up a decent enough gap to focus on consistency and speed. Afterwards, it feels all the better because he did have to put it together and hold Scott off. It's all the more satisfying. It does show how far Alexander has come in two seasons now, and how much there is to come the next two seasons."

Hull expects to have more headaches delivered by Rossi as he reaches his full potential in IndyCar.

"With a quality driver like he is, it takes two years to start to see the results of his efforts, and by year three, that's when you start to see their complete capabilities," he said. "He's on a great team with great lineage and great teammates, and I'm sure he'll get there next year."

A win would have bolstered Dixon's championship aspirations, but Hull isn't disappointed in how the race concluded.

"We want to win every race at Chip Ganassi Racing, so you could call our second a blue-collar finish for Scott because it was the best we could manage and helped a lot in the championship standings," he said. "Those two pulled away from Ryan Hunter-Reay and that group with ease; those two raced it out, and Rossi came out on top. Full credit to him and his team for getting to the finish line first."

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

IndyCar Cup quest 'should be a helluva fight'
Tuesday, 05 September 2017
By Robin Miller / Images by Gregg Feistman/LAT & Michael Levitt/LAT


ABOVE: Reigning champ Simon Pagenaud will have to fight off at least three rivals to kiss the Astor Cup again at Sonoma later this month.


The showdown for the 2017 IndyCar championship is likely between four drivers, with a fifth still having a shot, but the constant theme heading for Sonoma is take care of your own business because that's all you control.

In one of the tightest fights in recent history, Josef Newgarden leads Scott Dixon by three points, Helio Castroneves by 22 and Simon Pagenaud by 34 with double points in play for the finale.

"I don't see the points deficit being such an issue," said Pagenaud, who clinched his first IndyCar title at Sonoma last year after Will Power tangled early with teammate Juan Pablo Montoya. "And my points deficit on Josef is less than Will's deficit on me last year.

"I think the most important thing is to go into Sonoma very confident and just simply try to score maximum points. The rest you can't control. I can't control what Dixon is going to do, what my teammates are going to do. All I can control is me, and those situations are my favorite."

With a season-high four wins and a 31-point advantage going into Watkins Glen, Newgarden threw away a bunch of points with an unforced error leaving the pits last Sunday. But his demeanor sounded as upbeat as always on Tuesday.

"I think the good thing about it is we can control our own destiny, and if we win the race, then that basically secures the championship. So it's in our hands to make it happen, other than us having to go there and rely on other people finishing in a certain position.

"So that's the most comforting thing to me is we can control our own destiny, so we'll focus on going out, being fast, solving problems, and trying to win another IndyCar race."

At 42, Castroneves is driving as well as ever in pursuit of that elusive title.

"Well, the good news is we do have a very good setup there (Sonoma) the past few years and we've been able to really show that kind of like performance," said the three-time Indy 500 winner. "And obviously as we saw it in Watkins Glen, anything can happen. So things outside of our control, that's something that concerns me sometimes. Some people might not be aware of what's going on and have an opportunity to show something, and those are the things that sometimes you don't have much control.

"But at this point there is not much we can do. We've just got to keep bringing what we've been doing the whole season. We're not here at this position by luck. We're here because we perform as a team, as a group. Everybody in a consistent way, in a competitive way most of the time, and that's what we're going to have to continue doing."



It's basically three Penske Chevys (Power still has an outside chance being 68 points behind) against one Ganassi Honda. Dixon is the best driver of his generation but says going for his fifth championship is somewhat surprising, considering his season.

"I think with the ups and downs and misfortunes we've had throughout the season, I'm somewhat surprised that we're still within striking distance in the points race," said the 37-year-old Kiwi, whose lone win in 2017 came at Road America (pictured above). "Texas, Indy, Long Beach and St. Pete, we could have had a ton of points through those four alone.

"It's a better position than what we were in 2015, but that guarantees you pretty much nothing. It's good to be in the hunt and have a tight gap right there, but we're still going to have to do our best to beat four of them."

With 100 points going to the winner, it's fairly easy math.

"At the end of the day, if Helio wins the race, then he's probably going to win the championship," said Pagenaud, whose amazing consistency (average finish of fifth) hasn't been enough yet. "If Newgarden wins the race, then he's going to win the championship and so on. But it should be a helluva fight."

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Sato gets peek as his Borg-Warner likeness takes shape
By Bruce Martin | Published: Sep 6, 2017


 

TRYON, North Carolina – When famed sculptor William Behrends unveiled the full-sized clay rendition of Takuma Sato’s face on Tuesday, the winning driver of the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil took one look at it, pointed and said, “He’s better looking.”

That’s the ultimate compliment for the 71-year-old Behrends, who has sculpted every race on the Borg-Warner Trophy since Arie Luyendyk’s victory in the 1990 Indianapolis 500. Tuesday’s unveiling of the clay rendition was the latest step in the long process that culminates with the unveiling of Sato’s bas relief likeness on the iconic trophy. That will take place Oct. 17 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

That final image is cast in sterling silver and is the size of an egg. It will join the likenesses of every other winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on the Borg-Warner Trophy that is synonymous with the Indianapolis 500.



“Amazing work,” Sato told the Verizon INDYCAR Mobile App. “I kind of expected it, but when you see it for real, it’s incredible work. It’s incredible art. It’s weird seeing myself in three-dimension but it’s very good.

“William is an incredible person. We had dinner together last night and to see all his artwork and what we have done together – he’s just a great artist. I can see his details matter and that is fantastic.”

Behrends has been a professional sculptor for 44 years and has made a very comfortable living at art. He has also made the official busts of the U.S. Vice Presidents Spiro Agnew, Al Gore and Dick Cheney. He created five bigger-than-life bronze statues of Giants baseball greats Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry that stand outside the stadium in San Francisco.

He also made the amazing statue of the greatest player in San Diego Padres history, the late, great Tony Gwynn.

Williams’ art studio is in the North Carolina mountains near the South Carolina state line in the Brushy Mountains. Other than occasional visits from black bears, it offers the serenity for Behrends to perform his detailed work.

“I figured out my niche and the type of work that I wanted to do and it has really worked out well,” Behrends said. “I do a low number of things and work on one piece for over a year. By doing this for 44 years, my biggest fear is I’ve got too much to do.”

The Borg-Warner Trophy was first unveiled in 1936 after Louis Meyer’s third Indy 500 win. When Sato’s likeness is added, a total of 104 faces will grace the original trophy and the two bases since added. All are in silver except one – a 24-karat gold portrait of Tony Hulman, who saved IMS when he purchased it in 1945. The facility remains in the Hulman George family’s hands today.

Sato earned the right to have his face added in May, when he drove a flawless race and held off a charging Helio Castroneves to win become the first driver from Japan to win the Indianapolis 500.

“Takuma has a wonderful face,” Behrends said. “I love working on it because he has all the things in a face that sculptors love. He has strong features and cheekbones. This is the first Japanese person I’ve ever made a sculpture of and it was enjoyable.”

Sato’s likeness is the 28th that Behrends has sculpted for the Borg-Warner Trophy. It’s also part of history because Sato’s face will stand the test of time along with the other great drivers who have won the Indianapolis 500.

“It feels incredible,” Sato said. “I still cannot believe we have achieved the biggest pinnacle in racing. I’m really proud to be a part of that.

“We all feel really lucky to have BorgWarner to be part of this. It is incredible. To have that face on the trophy and all of the traditional things with the Indianapolis 500, it is great history and to be part of that is just an incredible feeling.”

Once Sato’s likeness is unveiled next month, there are discussions about taking the Borg-Warner to his homeland in Japan. If it happens, it would be the first time the trophy has been transported outside of the United States.

Sato will receive a personal miniature version – a “Baby Borg” – at the Automotive World Congress News Dinner in Detroit in January. His photo will also be on the Indianapolis 500 ticket in 2018.

“I’m excited and I’m thrilled to live in this life right now,” Sato said. “I can’t wait to see all of them.

“I have really enjoyed the moment but more is coming. This is just the beginning. The trophy is coming and at the end of the year I can’t wait to see the face on the trophy and be part of the club that has won the Indianapolis 500.

“I feel very fortunate.”

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

- Kanadski Indi Lajt vozac Zekeri Klaman de Melo ce debitovati u finalu Indikar sezone na Sonomi u drugom bolidu ekipe Rehol-Leterman-Lanigan. De Melo je bio jedan od cetvorise vozaca u Lajt timu Trevora Karlina i sezonu je zavrsio na 5. mestu uz jednu pobedu i jos 3 podijuma (ukljucujuci i dvostruki podijum na "domacoj" trci u Torontu). Rodjen je u Montrealu i ima 19 godina, ovo mu je bila druga sezona u Lajt sampionatu. Pre toga je vozio u Evropi u Formuli Reno 2.0 i F3, sa promenljivim uspehom.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

- I SPM razmislja o dodavanju jos jednog bolida za Sonomu, u kome bi trebalo da sedi Huanpablo Garsija. Garsija je 29-godisnji Meksikanac koji se takmicio u Indi Lajt seriji za SPM pre nekoliko godina (bez vecih uspeha) a u medjuvremenu je otisao u polu-penziju. On je u ponedeljak vozio privatni test koji je dobro prosao, i danas ce ucestvovati sa ostalim Indikar timovima na finalnom testiranju sezone 2017. na Sonomi (gde se za vikend septembra 16-17 vozi finale sezone). Ako tu sve prodje OK Garsija ce tako po prvi put startovati trku u Indikar bolidu.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Indikar sampionat, sta kome treba za titulu:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Najniza pozicija na kojoj vozac sme da zavrsi je ona u zelenom, zavrsi li nize od toga gubi titulu. Ako zavrsi na toj poziciji ostali konkurenti ne smeju da zavrse u belom. Za Rosija i Rehola Njigarden ne sme da startuje trku (u slucaju Rehola ni Dikson). Paueru samo pobeda odgovara, plus da mu se posloze rezultati svih ostalih.

Edited by Rad-oh-yeah?, 07 September 2017 - 13:12.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

- Kruze glasine da ce Ganasijeva B-sekcija sa Ciltonom i Kimbalom kolektivno preci u Karlin koji ce uz njihovo sponzorstvo da pokrene Indikar tim. Ganasi spada na dva bolida, jedan za Skota Diksona i drugi za verovatno neku novu nadu umesto veterana Tonija Kanana. Kanan se spominje u kombinacijama za drugi SPM bolid uz Hincklifa, a za to mesto konkurise i Hincklifov zemljak Vikens koji se do sada takmicio u DTM. Kastroneves najverovatnije gubi mesto u Penskiju (Penski spada na tri bolida), vozice samo Indi 500 a pridruzice se Montoji u Penskijevom IMSA DPi programu. Sato je vec potpisao za drugi RLL bolid, Rosi dobio produzenje ugovora sa Andretijem, a pored ulaska Karlina u sampionat i prosirenje Hardingovog programa na kompletnu sezonu (sa Gabijem Cavesom za volanom, ove godine su vozili samo superovale) ocekuje se i puna sezona od Junkos Rejsinga sa aktuelnim Indi Lajt sampionom Kajlom Kajzerom. Sve u svemu - najveci timovi gube nekoliko bolida, ali zato su tu manju da to i vise nego nadomeste, dogodine bismo mogli imati negde 22-23 bolida za kompletnu sezonu, umesto 21 ove sezone.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

PRUETT: A chance, a hope and a future
Thursday, 07 September 2017
Marshall Pruett / Images by MRTI



 
There are no participation trophies on the Mazda Road To Indy. And you won't find the dead ends that have plagued so many other open-wheel training systems in the past.

Take it from Brazil's Victor Franzoni, the kid who just won the Pro Mazda championship, who summed up the MRTI's value in 18 eloquent words: "Mazda is not just giving the prize money in the Mazda Road to Indy, they are giving hope."

The 21-year-old Sao Paulo product is following in the footsteps of countryman Tony Kanaan, who chased similar opportunities with empty pockets before Franzoni was born. Working 60-70 hours a week as a race car mechanic, Franzoni's busy life outside his Juncos Racing Pro Mazda chassis was dedicated to earning the income required to pay for Cooper tires and entry fees to vie for the title.



With his father at his side, the two spent the season perfecting the art of finding the cheapest hotels, where they shared a single room, and ate at the least expensive restaurants. Unburdened by wealth, Franzoni channeled his inner Kanaan, who slept on shop floors and lived below the poverty line while trying to move up the open-wheel ladder, and was duly rewarded last weekend for demonstrating his immense natural talent.

The sacrifices, all made to pursue the big prize on offer – a free season of Indy Lights, paid for by Mazda – reserved for the Pro Mazda champion were worth it. Pitted against the highly-talented Aussie Anthony Martin, who won the 2016 USF2000 championship and the free Pro Mazda ride that came with it, Franzoni took seven wins from 12 races. He placed second at the other five.

"Victorious," as I like to call him, just spent an entire season on the podium and is headed to Indy Lights with a check for $800,000 to pay for 2018. Thanks to Cooper Tires and Andersen Promotions, Franzoni will also have a combined $91,000 in credit to cover tires and entry fees. Maybe he won't have to work as much and can spend his weekdays training like most of the other MRTI drivers.

The story of "Victorious" Franzoni is only possible because of Mazda, and he isn't alone. Oliver Askew won a shootout held by Mazda during the offseason where the Florida karting sensation, who was also chosen by Jeremy Shaw as one of his Team USA Scholarship winners, took to open-wheel racing like it was his life's calling.



The 20-year-old phenom, who took his Mazda prize and turned it into a USF2000 championship in his first season out of karting, is on his way to a free season of Pro Mazda in the new PM18 chassis with the $325,000 check provided by Mazda. Like Franzoni, Askew has a healthy tire and entry fee credit of $44,000 to use when he signs with a Pro Mazda team.

At the top of the ladder, Kyle Kaiser captured three wins and $1 million to graduate from Indy Lights to IndyCar. A steady season of performances, including three wins and eight podiums from 16 rounds, will catapult the Northern Californian to next year's Indy 500 and a few additional races, at minimum, to kickstart his IndyCar career. Kaiser took another $30,000 in cash prizes and will have a $25,000 parts credit with Dallara to use in IndyCar. He'll be 22 when he gets there – the same age as many of his friends who are graduating college.

Drivers who finished second to fifth in each series took home money from Mazda as well: Lights runner-up Santi Urrutia pocketed $75,000, which is more than double what an IndyCar driver earns in prize money for a win outside of the Indy 500.

Combine all of the hard cash Mazda has committed to its MRTI drivers in 2017, and $2.6 million was distributed to its champions and top contenders earlier this week. The extra incentives from Cooper, Andersen, Dallara, and a number of other companies only add to the value found on our ladder system.

As IndyCar heads into its season finale with points leader Josef Newgarden (2011 Indy Lights champion) being chased by Scott Dixon (2000 Lights champ), Helio Castroneves (1997 Lights runner-up), and Simon Pagenaud (2006 Atlantic champion), it's easy to appreciate how one system, the MRTI, gives the Askew's a chance, the Franzoni's hope, and the Kaiser's a future.

It also gives IndyCar its future stars and champions.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

ROSSI: Life(style) support system
Friday, 08 September 2017
Alexander Rossi / Images by Levitt, Gibson, Williams/LAT


Main image: Alexander and Pieter Rossi, GP3, Istanbul, 2010


I want to take a moment to explore the not-often-discussed topic of family in motorsports. In my first RACER column way back in March, I wrote about how a driver is nothing without his team, and that this is one of the most team-oriented sports an athlete could take part in. But what also defines motorsports is the families behind the drivers that grant us the opportunity to do what we love, because it's not just a job, it's a way of life.

Let's start with our parents. My Mom and Dad, like those of many other racing drivers, sacrificed an unbelievable amount of time, energy, heartache and money into a sport that has no set path for what it takes to be successful, no school to train and develop skills, and next to no scholarships to help grant your child the chance to even see if they like the sport in the first place.

Their friends called them crazy for even considering spending the amount of money that they did on a 10-year-old. It's true, they may have been – but my parents had such a burning desire to give me an opportunity that it didn't matter. My father had a full-time job running his own company and had zero racing background, yet would spend every free moment sitting up until 2 a.m. learning about go-karts and preparing them while I was upstairs blissfully asleep. He would then wake up at 5 a.m. to go into the office.

My mother supported my dream by allowing me to switch to homeschooling, and dropping everything she knew to travel with me and help me grow and develop outside of the race car and in a normal childhood environment. They went so far as to buy a motorhome, and we proceeded to go on the road 45 weekends a year, all in pursuit of a dream that their now-12-year-old son supposedly had.


Rossi with his father Pieter, Formula Master, Oschersleben, 2009

Fast-forward 13 years, and my father has still never missed a race, has rarely missed a test, and is my absolute rock in terms of everything that goes on in my career. He is someone I can trust to always have my best interest at heart as we navigate the very complex business of motorsports. All of this despite having absolutely no knowledge of the sport until I began go-karting, but rather an immeasurable amount of time and effort put into understanding and working through the nuances of this business. I would not have lasted a second in this sport without the guidance and incredible commitment of my father and entire family.

Next comes the family that we choose (i.e. the wives and girlfriends). Before I get into this, I need to explain something. Races, tests, and sim sessions don't end when we leave the racetrack. They remain with us the entire time until we are next in the race car. Right or wrong, racing is not a job that we leave at the office – it is something that we think about pretty much every moment we are awake, and most of the time that we are asleep. Replaying moments, considering car setup, analyzing past years, debating choices, and discussing options for the future are always at the forefront of our thought process. When something is that engulfing, there is obviously going to be an emotional cause and effect. When we have a bad day in the car it stays with us, and affects our mood and behavior when we get back home.

Enter the family waiting there when you walk in the front door. Not only did they allow you to take on the inherent risks that we all know exist with driving race cars, but they preemptively accepted the mood you were going be in when you arrived back home. And there is rarely judgment, complaints or criticism. It is just pure joy if you win, and consolation if you don't. One example that I have had the privilege of witnessing is of my teammate, Ryan. As we all know, he is one of the most gifted open-wheel drivers of our generation. He has won the 500 and a championship, all the while having a growing family of now three pretty awesome boys.



The fact that he is able to compartmentalize his job while still putting such a priority on his wife and sons is nothing short of inspiring, and I know takes a very special group of humans – ones who eat, sleep and breathe racing. So many people talk about the sacrifice that drivers have to make, and while that is true, what is too often overlooked is the sacrifices that those around us choose to make. They didn't grow up with a dream of drinking milk, spraying champagne, or being one driving a machine at 240mph; however, they embrace it with entirety and selflessness.

In addition to that, consider the cast and crew that put us on track each weekend. For every car on track, there is a crew of at least 12 men and women that pack a suitcase countless weekends each year to back our dreams. That means for every car on the track, there are at least 12 families sacrificing time with their husbands, fathers, daughters... These crews just might see our faces more than they see the faces of their loved ones.

As we are reaching the closing stages of this year's IndyCar championship and the pressure ramps up, this column is a shout-out to the ones who helped us get to this point and gave us the chance to chase our dreams against all odds, and also to those who sacrifice the normality of their own life to support us while we go and play race car. They are the ones who understand that racing is not something that is just fun or an adrenaline rush on the weekend – it is what defines us. Thank you, because without you, we'd be nothing.

-AR

Edited by Rad-oh-yeah?, 08 September 2017 - 22:59.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

- Za sada nepotvrdjeno, ali Toni Kanan bi naredne godine trebalo da vozi za EjDzej Fojta. To otvara jedno mesto kod Ganasija, koji je nedavno testirao Rozenkvista...

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Snimak kompletne trke sa Glena, zvanicni Indikar YT kanal:

 

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Sledeceg vikenda finale sezone na Sonomi, sa sve duplim bodovima

 

 

 

Pomalo neinspirativna staza na severu Kalifornije na kojoj je tesko preticati tako da ce kvalifikacije biti veoma znacajne. Razlika izmedju prvoplasiranog Njugardena i drugoplasiranog Diksona je samo 3 boda sto znaci da bi i bez duplih poena sampion bio onaj od njih dvojice koji bude pobedio, jer onda onom drugom ni drugo mesto ne znaci nista. Njugarden ima 4 pobede (najvise od svih, Pauer ima 3, Dikson i Rehol po 2) ali Dikson cele sezone samo jednom nije zavrsio trku u top 10 - na Indijanapolisu kada je naleteo na tudj udes - niko nije bio konstantniji od njega.

 

Jedino sto su dupli bodovi postigli je to da su u igru ubacili i Kastronevesa i Pazenoa koji mogu da se "omaste" ako prva dvojica uprskaju stvar, a matematicke sanse imaju jos i Pauer, Rosi i Rehol.

 

Bice ovo i poslednja trka posebnih Hondinih i Sevroletovih aeropaketa, od naredne sezone se voze novi bolidi sa novom aerodinamikom bez "kardasijanki" iza zadnjih tockova i sa mnogo jacim efektima tla.

 

Satnica vikenda:

 

http://digbza2f4g9qo...20170905T171817

 

Trka je na programu 17. septembra (nedelja) u 15:30 po lokalnom vremenu / 18. septembra (ponedeljak) u 00:30 po srednjeevropskom, pa kome se ne spava...

 

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Zach Veach signs with Andretti Autosport through 2020

Zach Veach will race for Andretti Autosport’s IndyCar team next season, after signing a three-year deal with Michael Andretti’s multiple title-winning and Indy 500-winning squad.

Veach made his first two IndyCar starts this year, subbing for the injured JR Hildebrand at Ed Carpenter Racing in Barber Motorsports Park, and then making his Indy 500 debut in a third AJ Foyt Racing entry.

However, Veach’s return to the Andretti Autosport squad is something of a homecoming, as AA ran him for two years in USF2000, a year in Pro Mazda, and two years in Indy Lights.

He finished third in the Lights championship with Andretti in 2014, then returned to the series two years later with Belardi Auto Racing finishing fourth. Veach has a total of six victories in Lights.

Veach’s deal sees him join Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti and Alexander Rossi, as Takuma Sato is heading for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda.

Michael Andretti was unavailable for comment, but it's understood that the deal and major sponsor announcement will be made at Sonoma Raceway on Friday.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

- Veteran Tristan Gomendi ce voziti treci SPM bolid dogodine na Indi 500.

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Hartley tipped to join Ganassi
Tuesday, 12 September 2017

New Zealand's Brendon Hartley is expected to become Chip Ganassi Racing's newest IndyCar driver.
The 27-year-old Kiwi would replace the outgoing Tony Kanaan in the No. 10 Honda to form an all-Kiwi lineup with four-time champion Scott Dixon. Current CGR drivers Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball are unlikely to be retained as the team ponders returning next season in a downsized, two-car program. Kanaan, as RACER's Robin Miller reported, will join A.J. Foyt Racing on a two-year deal.

Hartley, a favorite of Honda Performance Development, was shopped to multiple IndyCar teams as proven talent to consider for 2018. It's believed he came close to signing on with another team, possibly as James Hinchcliffe's teammate at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, before Ganassi is said to have intervened.
"First, if [another owner] wanted to sign him up that bad, he could have signed him," Ganassi told RACER. "And secondly, Hartley's one guy we're talking to, among others."
Before his switch to sports cars with Porsche as a factory driver in 2014, Hartley was on track for a career in Formula 1. Seven years of European open-wheel training across Formula Renault 2.0, Formula 3, Formula Renault 3.5 and GP2 was combined with five years of F1 test driving for Toro Rosso, Red Bull and Mercedes, however a race seat never materialized.
Once the road to F1 closed, Hartley was snapped up by Porsche and paired with grand prix veteran Mark Webber and sports car champion Timo Bernhard in the 1000-plus horsepower 919 Hybrid Le Mans prototype. Regarded as the bullet within the team, Hartley was also relied upon for extensive development work.
With the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship LMP1 title to his credit, an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June (below, with teammates Earl Bamber and Timo Bernhard), and the current lead in the WEC's LMP1 standings, Ganassi would receive a bright prospect with immense experience in sleek, high-power cars. IndyCar's upcoming move to a new universal bodywork package that uses less downforce should also be perfectly suited to Hartley's skillset.

Learning ovals, which comprise approximately 30 percent of the IndyCar calendar, would serve as Hartley's only shortcoming as a rookie in the No. 10 Honda. From a split 2013 season where he tested in F1 for Mercedes and raced Daytona Prototypes in the Grand-Am Rolex Series, Hartley brings circuit knowledge of Barber, Belle Isle, the Indy GP road course, Mid-Ohio, Road America and Watkins Glen to the team.
Along with Bernhard and new teammate (and fellow Kiwi) Earl Bamber, Hartley has three consecutive WEC wins, including the most recent round in Mexico, entering this weekend's race at Circuit of The Americas. After COTA, October's trip to Fuji and November's visits to Shanghai and Bahrain will complete his time with Porsche, which is exiting LMP1 at the end of the season.

Hartley would become the latest in a long line of sports car champions to try and conquer Indy car racing.
Among the notable names, Penske Racing's Mark Donohue dominated the SCCA Trans Am series before moving up and eventually winning the 1972 Indy 500; 1982 IMSA GTP champion John Paul Jr. went on to score a popular win at the 1983 Michigan 500 in a career that stretched into the early days of the IRL. Five-time IMSA GT/GTP champion Al Holbert contested the 1984 season in CART where he finished fourth on his Indy 500 debut; 1983 IMSA GTP champion Randy Lanier spent 1985 and half of 1986 in CART before his arrest for drug trafficking.
Two-time IMSA GTO champion and three-time Trans Am champion Scott Pruett used his sports car prize money to buy a CART ride in 1988 and turned it into a career that ran through 1999 and included two wins – one at the Michigan 500, and another at Surfers Paradise. Juan Manuel Fangio II took his 1992 and 1993 IMSA GTP championships to CART from 1995-1997, but was unable to recreate the sports car magic he found with All American Racers.
Within the current crop of drivers, 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Simon Pagenaud took his 2010 ALMS LMP championship in a Honda-powered prototype and turned it into select IndyCar outings in 2011 that ultimately led to earning the title last year with Team Penske.
And in an interesting twist, another sports car champion to make a full-time turn to Indy car racing was Scott Sharp, whose 1991 and 1993 Trans Am titles were added to scoring the inaugural IRL championship (along with Buzz Calkins) in 1996. Sharp, whose Tequila Patron ESM team competes in IMSA's Prototype category, currently employs Hartley to drive at the four endurance races on the WeatherTech Championship calendar.