Bondurant School Closes; Tracks Begin Ticket Renewals; Return to Surfer’s Paradise? Wickens News

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Autosport reports this afternoon the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving has shut its doors.  Bondurant began a school for race drivers in the early 60’s after an injury during a race ended his driving career. Bill Shaw, Wilbur’s son, was an instructor at the school.

Celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise Tim Allen, and Nicholas Cage attended the driving school.  A huge number of racing drivers also took instruction there. Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Rick Mears were some of the many racing starts who honed their craft at the Bondurant School.

The Chandler, Arizona, site was also the venue for the Road to Indy shootout, which now needs to find another location soon. The shootout is scheduled for December 8 and 9.

Portland, St. Pete Ticket Renewal Periods Begin

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and The Grand Prix of Portland have opened ticket renewal periods. Fans who purchased tickets last year can renew or change seat locations before the general public sale begins.

Contact:

tickets@gpstpete.com

pir@portlanoregon.gov

Miles Flying to Australia

Mark Miles is flying to Australia to investigate the possibility of Indycar returning to Surfer’s Paradise. The premiere of Queensland, Annasacia Palaszaczuk,  expressed interest in hosting an  Indycar race during Will Power’s trip to his homeland.  Power referred her to Miles.

Surfer’s Paradise was always a fun race to watch, especially when it was the season opener.

Norman Returns to Andretti Indy Lights Ride

Ryan Norman has re-signed with Andretti Autosport for a third season in Indy Lights. Norman showed marked improvement last year. He won the pole for the Freedom 10 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and won the race at Gateway Motorsports Park after a spirited duel with Colton Herta.

Wickens Loses the Back Brace

In a new Instagram video from Robert Wickens, he discards the back brace he has worn virtually since he was injured. Here is the link to the video:

 

 

 

McLaren Forms Its Own Team for Indy; Some Thoughts

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Following yesterday’s late afternoon announcement that McLaren and Fernando Alonso will enter the 2019 Indianapolis 500, CEO Zak Brown added further details. The Mclaren effort will be a separate team, McLaren Racing. It is expected they will still receive some support from Andretti Autosport.  The team will run Chevrolet engines in all likelihood.

Brown would not comment on a possible two car effort at Indy. He did say that this entry is a precursor to a full time Indycar team.

Some Thoughts

It’s always great to have more cars in the 500, especially with another separate team. The international aspect is great for the race.

The possibility exists to have six former F1 drivers on the 500 grid, including a former world champion. Maybe Team Penske can bring Juan Pablo Montoya back as well.

Alonso will drive a car very different from the one he drove in 2017. There will be less downforce. I have no doubt he will adjust quickly as he did in his first May.

If McLaren’s main focus is helping Alonso win the third leg of the Triple Crown, would it be helpful for them to enter Pocono as well in 2019? While it is a different track from Indy, it is still a high speed track of the same length.

Andretti Autosport will be giving support to two Chevrolet teams, Harding and McLaren, during May. I don’t think that is a good idea for the series.  Even if their personnel are completely removed from engine discussions, it just looks bad.

The entry list for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 appears to be heading to about 38 cars. I will wait until late April to begin my annual plea to change the qualifying format.

McLaren, Alonso Will Enter the Indianapolis 500

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Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, confirmed last night the team’s entry in th e 104th running of the Indianapolis 500. Fernando Alonso will drive for McLaren .

No announcement concerning which engine the team will use or what full time team, if a nylon, they will partner with.

In 2017 Alonso drove in the 500 for McLaren, who partnered with Andretti Autosport. He led 29 laps before dropping out with engine failure. Alonso earned Rookie of the Year for his efforts.

Still no word about other races for 2019 for McLaren or Alonso.

More details later tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Indycar Developments and Non Developments

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Some Indycar developments this week have sharpened the 2019 picture a bit, but the big announcements are still to come.

International Media  Rights In House

Indycar has created Indycar Media, a new organization in house distribution of the series’ global media rights. Indycar media plans to make deals with more than 24 licensees representing more than 100 countries. This gives Indycar flexibility to tailor content to specific needs, Sweden might want more features on Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Ericsson, Should a certain Spanish driver enter the Indianapolis 500, Spain and a lot of Europe would want more stories about him.

This is a good deal for the series. There is potential for good income growth here.

 

Road to Indy Prize Packages

The Road to Indy and Andersen Promotions revealed their scholarship and cash awards for 2019. A combined total of $2 million is available to the champions of the three series.

The Indy Lights champion receives $1.1 million which goes toward three Indycar races in 2020, including the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500. Winning the Pro Mazda title nets $596,700. $500,00 of the prize is scholarship money for Indy Lights, and the rest is for entry fees and Cooper tires at the next level.

USF2000’s top driver will have $305,600- a $250,000 scholarship and $55,600 for tires and entry fees in Pro Mazda.

My spending other people’s money segment today-

I think the top three drivers in points should get some scholarship award, even if it means they spend another year at the same level.

Juncos- 2 Cars, No Drivers

Juncos Racing has purchased a second Dallara chassis. They plan to use the second car to enhance their test days. As far as the race schedule, Juncos will again be a part time team. They may run more races with just one car or fewer races with two cars. It’s great to see teams buying extra cars.

Juncos has not signed any drivers fort he season or for testing as of today.

South America?

A video from Brazil today announced an Indycar race will take place on the streets of Rio de Janeiro in2020. The video showed the track layout and an  animated Indycar in Verizon livery driving the circuit. Signage included Verizon, Toyota, and DHL.  There is a slight glitch to this plan. Neither Mark Miles nor Jay Frye have signed an agreement for this race. Indycar says there no plans in motion to hold this event.

Speculation about a race in Uruguay also has been discussed. I can’t envision two Indycar races in South America in a season. They would have to be run either on consecutive weekends, or within a span of three weeks.  That is a long time away from home for all involved. Compensation needs to be well worth everyone’s effort.

My guess – one of the two is likely, no earlier than 2020. Waiting until 2021 and the new engine and possibly chassis package might be a better idea.

Title Sponsor?

Still no word on a title sponsor for Indycar.  I was hoping we would know something by Thanksgiving, but that may be optimistic.

 

 

Some Thoughts on Mari Hulman George- We’ve Lost a Lot

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One of the first things I do after I wake up in the morning is check social media. Saturday morning the first thing on my Twitter timeline was the notice of the death of Mari Hulman George. It was hard to believe. I knew she was ill, but that didn’t make the news less of a shock.

Although she had not been an active member of the board for a couple of years, I’m sure her influence was still being felt. Many drivers have praised her selflessness and kindness. She let Parnelli Jones drive her car at Trenton when his car had a problem during practice. Jones finished second. A. J. Foyt spent many Christmases with Mari and her family.

I was most familiar with her through her work with greyhound rescue.  I fostered and adopted greyhounds from a different group, but her group, USA Dog, also had a presence at shows where we had information booths our hounds. I remember ads for greyhound rescue in the Indianapolis 500 programs in the ’90’s. She was instrumental in bringing the Mutt Strut to the track as well.

How will things change at the Speedway? There probably won’t be many changes noticeable on a day to day basis. There are things that will change, one has already happened. First, all drivers, past and present, have lost a great friend and advocate. Second, we will likely not hear the name Hulman mentioned in connection with anybody again. While it is Tony’ middle name, no one refers to him with his middle name. Third, the thing that makes me most sad, is that we may never hear the race started with “Gentlemen, Start your Engines” again. The 100th running of the 500 was the last time the race began with those words. Mari, accompanied by her family gave the command in unison. Tony Hulman the last two years has given the pedestrian “Drivers, start your engines,” a weak command to begin the Indianapolis 500.

The Hulman family has owned the Speedway for seventy three years as of next Friday. The third generation is now completely in charge. My hope is that they follow the examples and high bars set by their grandfather and mother.

Book Review: Wilbur Shaw’s Story Continues in Updated Version of His Autobiography- Part II

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Photo above: Bill Shaw next to his father’s famous car and the Boyle hauler.

The second part of the updated Wilbur Shaw biography is called ‘The Rest of the Story.” It picks up the last two years of Wilbur’s life through the eyes of his son, Wilbur, Junior, known as Bill. A nice touch is that the chapter numbers in this section continue from the end of Shaw’s autobiography.

Bill Shaw learned a lot from his father in the nine years he knew him. Wilbur taught him by example as his father had taught him. Although Bill and his father worked with Wilbur’s tools, Shaw had made it clear that he wanted Bill to stay away from any involvement with racing. His friends in racing honored Shaw’s request. Car owner J. C. Agajanian talked Bill out of driving a sprint car when Bill inquired about it.

Bill went to a boarding school in Arizona, where he could fuflill his love of horses and the west. But as the son of a racer, racing was in his blood and his soul. He was more interested in road racing than attempting the Indianapolis 500. A chance meeting with road racing champion Bob Bondurant, who had just opened his now well known driving school. Bondurant convinced Bill to take the school’s course.

After he completed the course, Bill returned to Indianapolis and got a job with Stokely Van Camp, a large food processor. Bondurant called to say he needed help running his school. Bill quit his job immediately and left to become an instructor at the Bondurant driving school in Arizona. Teaching allowed bill to sharpen his own driving skills as he pursued his dream to race full time.

Author Brock Yates had been invited to drive in the 1972 Daytona 24 Hour race. A sponsor conflict would not allow him to drive. he told the car owner Bill would drive instead. It would have been nice if he had asked Bill first. Shaw was more than happy to seize the chance. Bill later drove a Ferrari for the North American Racing Team. After an unsuccessful race in japan, Bill decided he couldn’t continue racing.

Like his father, Bill had his own heart attack as well as a stroke and nearly died. He required immediate open heart surgery. he has recovered well.

Bill has spent the last few years preserving his father’s memory and keeping his name in public view. In 2002, he drove the Boyle Maserati around the Speedway on race morning. His son Peter also drove the car on a practice day. Bill continues to keep his father’s memory alive.

In 2014 the Indiana Racing Memorial Association held  a remembrance ceremony at the site of  Shaw’s fatal plane crash. It was the first time Bill had visited the site.

A new organization, the Boyle Racing Headquarters Foundation, began restoring the Boyle Racing hauler, one of the first dedicated race car transport vehicles. they also started salvaging the building in which the cars were housed. The building, located at 1701 Gent Avenue, was slated for demolition. The building will house a brewing company and have an event space when renovated.

The discovery of the hauler is another adventure. After tracking down several leads, it was found near Crawfordsville, Indiana. the hauler was badly deteriorated, sitting upside down. A tree was growing through the middle of it. The group, headed by John Pappas and Jeff Congdon, was determined to have the vehicle fully restored for the 100th running of the 500 in 2016. They achieved their goal.

Gentleman, Start Your Engines, The Rest of the Story may be purchased through the Boyle Racing Headquarters. Email: donate@boyleracingteam.org.

 

 

 

 

Ericsson to Drive Car #7 for Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports

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From Schmidt Peterson Motorsports this morning:

Marcus Ericsson Joins SPM for 2019 Season

Marcus Ericsson Joins Schmidt Peterson Motorsports For 2019 Season
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Oct. 30, 2018) – Schmidt Peterson Motorsports announced today that Marcus Ericsson will pilot the No. 7 Honda for the 2019 IndyCar Series season. The current Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team driver will make the move to the North American open-wheel racing series following the conclusion of Formula One’s season later this year in Abu Dhabi.The Kumla, Sweden native is a two-time champion (Formula BMW UK, 2007; Japanese Formula Three, 2009), and has twice claimed the Swedish Junior Racer of the Year award (2007, 2009). Ericsson also previously competed in British Formula Three, GP2 Asia, GP2 and currently has 95 starts in Formula One.

“It’s a great honour to be picked as one of the drivers at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and IndyCar for the 2019 season,” the Swedish racing driver commented. “It feels like a perfect step for me and my career after five years in F1. I can’t wait to start work with SPM and all the people in the team which I’ve heard a lot of good things about. They’ve had some great success over the years, and I’m looking forward to work hard to continue and improve on that path. The racing in IndyCar looks great and I feel really excited to be part of it in the future. It will be a lot to learn including new tracks, oval racing, etc. I know it won’t be easy, but it’s a challenge I’m very much looking forward to and I can’t wait to get started.”

While the No. 7 Honda will be his primary focus, the 28-year-old will remain on Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team’s lineup as reserve driver for its F1 program due to his strong relationship with the team and its partners. Ericsson most recently finished ninth in the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City.

“Ric (Peterson) and I are excited to welcome Marcus to the team,” said SPM co-owner Sam Schmidt. “He has a ton of experience racing in the top levels of motorsports, so we believe that he will be able to contribute to our development program that began in earnest in 2018. While the circuits on the IndyCar schedule will be brand new to him, particularly the ovals, we have a lot of confidence and trust in his eagerness to learn along with his work ethic. We think he and James (Hinchcliffe) will be a good fit to push one another and fight for those wins.”

Ericsson joins series veteran James Hinchcliffe who will continue his appointment in the No. 5 Arrow Electronics Honda, while Briton Jack Harvey will maintain his part-time ride through the collaboration with Meyer Shank Racing. The No. 6 Honda remains open for 2018 IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Robert Wickens when he wants to and is able to return.

Marcus Ericsson will be available to media at the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports shop (6803 Coffman Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268) for 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 31. Media mustRSVP attendance to SPM Press Officer Veronica Knowlton prior to Wednesday.

Thoughts-

Ericsson joins Sebastien Bourdais, Alexander Rossi, and Max Chilton,and Takuma Sato on the Indycar grid as drivers who have driven in F1.
Only the second Carlin seat remains open. R. C. Enerson was in the car yesterday at COTA.
While this is probably a decent move for SPM, it is another seat not going to a driver from the Road to Indy.

Book Review: Wilbur Shaw’s Story Continues in Updated Version of His Autobiography- Part I

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Today is the sixty-fourth anniversary of Wilbur Shaw’s death in a plane crash near Decatur, Indiana. Shaw was returning from a race car  demonstration in Michigan at the Chrysler test track. Tomorrow is the 116th anniversary of his birth.  Gentlemen, Start Your Engines, The Rest of the Story… is an updated version of his autobiography, originally published in 1955, that continues the Shaw story through his son Wilbur “Bill” Shaw, Jr. The chapters about Bill were authored by Bob Gates, author of Vukovich. Part II Thursday will review Bill’s part of the book.

I read this book in seventh grade and instantly became a Wilbur Shaw fan. While reading it again, I was shocked by how much of it I remembered- not just the episodes, but the exact wording. My mind is weird. But you knew that. I have read many books about racing and the Indianapolis 500, but this one is still one of my top five.

Shaw’s autobiography covers his life from childhood through the start of the 1952 Indianapolis 500. It is a first hand look at the world of racing from the late twenties up through World War II and the first years following the war. Shaw also tells how he met Tony Hulman and saved the Speedway. The photos are a great visual record of the era. Any fan of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway should give profuse thanks to Shaw. If not for his efforts, 16th and Georgetown would now be the site of apartments, homes, or a strip mall.

Some impressions of Shaw the person I got were that he was always very self assured, sometimes to the point of cockiness; he had very good car builder and mechanical skills; and Shaw was a good businessman. From the time he entered his first 500 in 1927, Shaw thought he had a chance to win every time.  He dropped out of four of his first six races, but earned a fourth place and and a second in the other two. From 1935-1940 Shaw won three times, had two second place finishes and a seventh place.  He also started on the front row five times.

The drivers of that era were quite hardened to death on the track. It occurred with regularity in those days and was just taken as a fact of life. When Shaw speaks about a driver who was killed in a race, he says a few kind words about him, then moves on. He heard of Floyd Roberts’ death during one of his pit stops in the 1939 500, and while stunned by it, he went on to win. The only death which seemed to really move him to tears was that of Ralph Hepburn.

Hepburn had been one of Shaw’s biggest rivals on the track. Hepburn was president of ASPAR, American Society of Professional Auto Racing, a drivers’ group that was asking for 40% of gate receipts as the purse from tracks running 100 mile races. They also made this request of the Speedway. Shaw and Hulman countered their offer, but the group did not accept. It appeared there would be a drivers’ strike for the 1947 500. A compromise was reached allowing some ASPAR members to get into the race. Hepburn sat out the 1947 race but entered the next year. He crashed and suffered fatal injuries during practice early on  qualifying afternoon.

In  August, 1951, while officiating at the Soap Box derby Finals in Akron, Ohio, Shaw suffered a heart attack. It was a near life threatening event. He spent the rest of the year recuperating. In May, 1952, he had recovered and could give the command, “Gentleman, start Your Engines!” to begin the 1952 Indianapolis 500. How nice it would be to hear those words again before the start of the race.

Gentleman, Start Your Engines, The Rest of the Story may be purchased through the Boyle Racing Headquarters. Email: donate@boyleracingteam.org. Part II Bill, Jr.’s biography, will be up on Thursday.