Long Beach officials considering stadium proposal on race site
By: Marshall Pruett | 2 hours ago
A proposition has been made by Long Beach mayor Robert Garcia that would turn the paddock section and final corners of the Long Beach Grand Prix circuit into a new stadium for the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball team.
The Angels, whose contract to use its current stadium in Anaheim expires at the end of the 2020 season, have been seeking everything from a major renovation of its present facility to relocating to a new stadium elsewhere in greater Los Angeles.
Under the most recent contract executed between the city of Long Beach and the Grand Prix at Long Beach Association, the immensely popular street circuit event headlined by the NTT IndyCar Series and supported by IMSA’s WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and the Blancpain GT World Challenge America series, among others, runs through 2023.
Although the Angels’ timeline for a stadium solution falls many years before the GPALB contract expires, it’s believed the city holds the right to cancel the contract if a decision was made to fund the construction of a waterfront home for the baseball team.
An extensive list of studies—both financial and environmental—would be required before any significant action could be taken, and in some instances, a year or more would be needed to complete those assessments.
“Right now, it’s too early to make an assessment on the impact,”GPALB president Jim Michaelian told RACER. “We haven’t seen any plans, or any layouts of what’s being proposed, but we’ll meet with all the parties involved and see what develops.”
With the race preparing to celebrate its 45 anniversary in April, Michaelian said the event has seen frequent change take place around the 1.9-mile temporary beachside circuit.
“In 1975 when we first started the Grand Prix, there was virtually no development going on where we are in Long Beach, and since them, there’s been a plethora of building—high-rise buildings, hotels, an aquarium, and a lot of businesses have moved in,” he said.
“The Grand Prix has managed to thrive throughout those developments, and we’ll meet to see how our needs can be met if a stadium is eventually built.”
IndyCar sezona 2019
#76
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Posted 27 February 2019 - 19:35
#77
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Posted 28 February 2019 - 16:54
D&R potvrdio Sejdza Karama u bolidu #24 za Indi 500.
#79
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Posted 28 February 2019 - 19:24
U ocekivanju sada vec izvesnog znacajno veceg broja prijavljenih bolida za 33 moguca mesta na Indi 500, menja se procedura za kvalifikacije:
More action, increased drama given to Indy 500 qualifying days
By INDYCAR | Published: Feb 28, 2019
Bumping to secure locked-in grid positions on both qualifying days, the thrilling Fast Nine Shootout for the pole position and an opportunity to preview the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge with a full-field practice await NTT IndyCar Series fans May 18-19 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The action-packed format for Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying weekend was announced today by INDYCAR. The Indianapolis 500 runs Sunday, May 26 on the iconic 2.5-mile oval.
Highlights of the qualifying weekend are:“With this schedule, fans will get a phenomenal weekend of action, with two days of qualifying, bumping, the run for the pole and this incredible practice that effectively is the race before the race – all in a two-day span,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said.
- The drama on Saturday, May 18 will be intense with competitors battling for one of the 30 locked-in starting positions and a berth in the Fast Nine Shootout the following day. Each entry is guaranteed one attempt and multiple four-lap runs may be made as time permits. Cars in positions 10 through 30 at the end of first-day qualifying on May 18 are locked into those starting spots for the race and will not re-qualify the next day.
- NBC’s coverage on Sunday, May 19 (12-3 p.m.) will feature two highly competitive battles – for the last three starting positions in the field of 33 and the pole-deciding Fast Nine Shootout to determine the starting order of the first three rows.
- Sunday’s action will be capped by a practice of nearly three hours that should serve as a preview of the Indianapolis 500. Cars will be trimmed in race setup and running in groups. NBCSN will provide the coverage (3-6 p.m.).
The qualifying weekend schedule is as follows:
Saturday, May 18 (all times ET):Sunday, May 19:
- 8-9:30 a.m.: Practice
- 11 a.m.-5:50 p.m.: Qualifying (order based on draw, top 30 locked in field at end of day)
The 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season totals 17 races and opens with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 10 (12:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).
- 10:15-10:45 a.m.: Fast Nine Shootout practice
- 10:45-11:15 a.m.: Last Row Shootout practice
- 12:15-1:15 p.m.: Last Row Shootout qualifying (order based on original draw, one attempt per car)
- 1:15-2:15 p.m.: Fast Nine Shootout qualifying (order based on Saturday times, slowest to fastest, one attempt per car)
- 3:15-6 p.m.: Open practice, all 33 qualified cars
#83
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Posted 05 March 2019 - 20:35
Prva trka sezone 2019. Indikar sampionata na programu je ovog vikenda, u nedelju 10. marta:
Tradicionalno sezonu otvara trka na ulicno-aerodromskoj stazi u Sent Pitu na Floridi, 2,9 km duzine sa 14 krivina, tehnicki veoma zahtevna sa uskim i zavojitim sekcijama okruzenim zidovima poput Monaka i dugim sirokim otvorenim glavnim pravcem. Od nekoliko mesta za preticanje narocito se istice prva krivina koja je cesto i popriste incidenata. Prosle sezone je u poslednjem krugu to doslo do kontroveznog kontakta izmedju Rosija i lidera trke Vikensa nakon kojeg je popularni Kanadjanin odustao a pobedu ni kriv ni duzan nasledio Borde koji je trku startovao sa poslednje pozicije.
Za trku je prijavljeno 24 vozaca, kompletnu listu mozete videti ovde:
U Evropi sezonu bi trebalo da prenosi Sky F1 kanal, tako da ko je u prilici da preko njega prati F1 od ove godine moze da prati i Indikar.
#84
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Posted 06 March 2019 - 17:53
Wickens to make IndyCar paddock return at St Petersburg
By: Mark Glendenning | 6 minutes ago
Robert Wickens will return to the IndyCar paddock at St Petersburg this weekend in what will be his first public appearance since suffering spinal injuries in a crash at Pocono last September.
The Canadian is scheduled to participate in the autograph session on Friday at 12:30pm, followed by a meet and greet at the Firestone display in the Fan Village at 10am on Sunday. He laid down a marker at last year’s St Pete race by claiming pole on his series debut, and while a late clash with Alexander Rossi denied him the chance to convert it into a strong race result, he scored his first podium next time out with a second place at Phoenix.
While a timeline for Wickens’ recovery remains open-ended, he has been actively updating fans with his progress in rehabilitation via social media through the winter, culminating in a recent video in which he surprised fiancée Karli Woods by standing up from his wheelchair under his own power.
Schmidt Peterson Motorsport has reserved Wickens’ No.6 car in anticipation of an eventual return to the cockpit, instead allocating its No.7 entry to new arrival Marcus Ericsson for the 2019 season.
#85
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Posted 07 March 2019 - 23:20
- Aktuelni Indi Lajt sampion Pato O'Vord koji je izvisio za angazman kod Harding-Stajnbrener tima vozice 12 trka ove sezone u trecem Karlinovom bolidu.
#86
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#89
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Posted 09 March 2019 - 02:01
- Dzejms Dejvison potvrdjen za Indi 500 u Kojnovom bolidu #33
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Posted 09 March 2019 - 14:19
Wickens staying confident amid 'long road' to recovery
By: RACER staff | 17 hours ago
Robert Wickens was a welcome sight in the NTT IndyCar Series paddock in St. Petersburg, six months on from the terrible crash at Pocono that ended his spectacular rookie season and left him with spinal injuries. Although the Canadian admitted his road to recovery remains long and challenging, his characteristic determination — and sense of humor — clearly remain undaunted.
“First off, good to see everybody here. It’s nice to be back in a world that I’m familiar with,” Wickens told the media at a press conference after spending the first practice session on Friday pit-side with his Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team. “I’m doing well. Really I am. There’s obviously good days and bad days. Being back at a racetrack makes everything feel a whole lot better, although it’s a little bit strange to be on the far side of the pit wall.
“When you’re driving, you know the engineers are talking and figuring out how to make the car better. When you actually listen on a race weekend of the communication that goes on, it’s intense. I thought I’ll put a headset on, chime in, give some insight every now and then. I struggled to find my space to make my blurb. It’s all a work in progress.”
The same could be said about his path to recovery, Wickens related.
“From my front, I’m getting some stuff back, getting better each day. A long road. You feel like you’re on that road trip — it’s the 100-mile road that’s a straight line the entire time without any scenery, and you’re just working as hard as you can to get to the end.
“We’re getting there, one step at a time. It’s basically all I can say — we’re making progress. The thing with a spinal injury is you never know when that day comes where you won’t progress any more. I think right now we’re trying to utilize every day we can to get as healthy as I can.”
Wickens is interviewed by NBC at St. Pete. Image by Chris Jones/IndyCar.
Wickens said he continues to be buoyed by the support and well wishes he’s received from IndyCar’s extended family, and the sport’s fans.
“It’s been amazing. I was expecting a lot of support, but it’s already kind of gone way out of what I expected it would be,” he said. “I mean, heading to the pit lane for the first session, I thought the fans would kind of be more focused on the race cars, like I would have been when I was a fan attending a race. All they seemed to care about was me. Everyone was cheering my name. It’s really cool to see team personnel from other teams just saying it’s great to see me. People [I’ve] never even seen before. Competitor team uniforms, all being really supportive. It goes to show how great the IndyCar community is, how close it is — but then the fans are just fantastic, as well. Everyone is just giving me such an outpouring of support. It’s been fantastic.
“It’s been a motivation piece for me. On those days where I’m just not having the best day in rehab, you feel like you don’t really want to put in the final three hours of your day — but then you just think about the long-term goal of me trying to get back into an Indy car. It’s pretty easy to find that motivation again.”
One of the strongest sources of support Wickens has drawn on is from his team owner Sam Schmidt, a paraplegic himself as the result of an racing accident. Wickens says his advice was key to getting his recuperation program going.
Sam Schmidt with James Hinchcliffe. Image by Scott LePage/LAT
“Sam’s been super helpful throughout the whole thing. I mean, just the fact when the injury happened, he already basically knew the good doctors, the good surgeons. Before I would get to the hospital that I was going to, he already had vetted it for me.
“At the time I wasn’t in a space to recognize. But he was always making sure I would get the best care possible. Nothing dodgy, but everything legally. He just knew so much because of his injury, because of his research and everything he’s done with his paralysis. He’s been to so many rehabilitation hospitals that when that became a reality for me, he knew the ins and outs of every hospital, every rehab facility we were looking at.
“In the end, we came to the conclusion of where we wanted to go. It was kind of a full team decision. It wasn’t just me trusting a doctor that recommended it. I felt like we really made the right choice in the places that we went. Then, moving forward, he has his place in Las Vegas, a facility, which has opened. That could be a very viable option for me once rehab finishes and I still need a place to keep conditioning.
“It’s hard to put in words really what he’s done. I think he did a lot that I still don’t realize, because I was in a state that I wasn’t able to realize what he was doing.”
Although Wickens concedes that doctors still can’t promise that he will be able to achieve his goal of returning to racing, he’s determined to spare no personal effort at maximizing his chances.
“Honestly, the spinal cord injury, every single person is different. I’m working my butt off doing everything I can because my whole philosophy in life is the harder you work, the better results you’ll get. Make sure you’re the hardest-working guy out there and you won’t be beat. That’s been my philosophy from day one of my entire life, how my parents brought me up. That’s my approach today.
“I don’t know if it’s right or wrong. There could be a person beside me with the same spinal cord injury eating fast food and sitting in their hospital bed all day, and they might walk sooner than me! The doctors know I’m working too hard — they’re telling me to rest. By the same token, they’re kind of telling me to keep doing what I’m doing because it’s working. It’s kind of that fine balance of I am doing four to six hours a day, six days a week. It’s tough. I enjoy my day off on Sunday!”
While his long-term prognosis remains unclear, Wickens does feel that his progress has been steady and encouraging…even sexy.
“I think they’ve been more, like, sexy steps. Getting the first muscle flick back in October, whenever that was, was huge, right? But it’s just a little muscle flick. You don’t really notice anything. Then as I was getting a little better, now that I’m getting up on my feet, I think it’s putting into perspective — Oh, my God, he’s standing, then taking steps, kind of getting better.
“They always told me the six- to nine-month, or the six- to 12-month frame is where you’ll see the most progression. I’m kind of right at the beginning of that. Hopefully I didn’t peak too soon. Hopefully I’m still in that prime spot.
“We’re just a little bit over six months post-injury. I am getting a lot of improvement from week-to-week. I don’t think it’s really been escalating. I think it’s been pretty linear. I’ll take the linear progression over one that kind of plateaus, goes up quickly then plateaus again.
“Every week we’re making small improvements. [fiancée] Karli [Woods] and I are documenting everything I can do at the start of each month. It’s been remarkable to read back to see what I was doing February 1 to March 1, January 1. Every month it’s a pretty consistent chunk of new things.”
Wickens chats with Mario Andretti at St. Pete. Image by Chris Jones/IndyCar.
Meanwhile, Wickens’ focus on a racing return remains “100 percent” no matter where the plateau of recovery levels off.
“The goal is to get back into an Indy car. We won’t know ’til I try it to see if it’s a reality. Apart from that, I mean, there’s been so many remarkable drivers that have succeeded with hand controls in motorsports that it makes me believe that regardless of how my progression goes, I will be in a race car again. Just a matter of which car.”
Where, exactly, does that determination come from?
“It’s all I know. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. From such a young age, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I told my parents when I was like nine or 10 that I want to be a race car driver.
“Everyone told me early on, if you can’t race again, you’re still going to do something great with your life. I’m a hard worker. I know I’m going to land on my feet somewhere. I wasn’t happy with that answer. Like, I don’t want a nine-to-five job hustling somewhere new. I want to hustle as a race car driver. Even if I had to learn something new, like hand controls, I know it’s something I’ll work hard with.
“There’s Billy Whizz [Monger], who is doing a great job with hand controls, Alex Zanardi, the guy to get back into motorsports post-injury. When I look at what he did in Daytona this year, when I look at what he did in DTM last year, as a racer who raced in DTM for so long, great he got a top 10 without even testing.
“Anything is possible. I know I’m a hard worker, analytical. I think I could get on top of hand controls. My only fear is that I always wanted to get back into racing as I left off, on the same level that I left off. I don’t want to be just a driver in the field. I want to be one competing to win like I was when I went out. That’s kind of the main thing for me.”
That, and being able to dance with Karli at their wedding…something that Wickens joked might not have been much easier even before his accident.
“Even what I did before was hard to call dancing,” he jibed. “Even if I stand perfectly straight, I can wiggle my upper body a little bit. I don’t know, what defines dancing? That’s the big thing.
“I mean, if we can just both stand there and awkwardly stare at each other for three minutes, I think that would be pretty good, as well…”
