Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Rolex 24 Indycar Driver Tracker

thepitwindow

First, a sad note from Indycar- Chuck Weyant, who drove in the Indianapolis 500 from 1955-1959, passed away at the age of 92. He was the oldest living 500 veteran.

8 active and 8 former Indycar drivers will be driving this weekend in Daytona for the Rolex24. This guide has the class, car number, drive,r and car. I hope this helps make it easier to track the Indycar contingent throughout the race.

 

P class:

31    Mike Conway   Cadillac

52     R C Enerson      Ligier

55       Spencer Pigot    Mazda

70       James Hinchcliffe      Mazda

 

PC class- all cars Oreca

20       Buddy Rice

88        Sebastian Saavedra

 

 

GTLM class

66      Sebastian Bourdais   Ford GT

67        Scott Dixon                 Ford GT

Ryan Briscoe

69         Tony Kanaan              Ford GT

 

GTD class

14      Sage Karam          Lexus

23       Townsend Bell    Audi

75       Tristan Vautier         Mercedes

86        Ryan Hunter-Reay     Acura

93         Graham Rahal          Acura

Katherine Legge

 

Qualifying begins Thursday afternoon at 3:15.   I’m planning an update post qualifying. Enjoy the race.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indycar Silly Season- It Was Done, Now It Isn’t; My Season Begins

thepitwindow

Just when we thought all the rides were filled, one may be open again.  Spencer Pigot returns to Ed Carpenter Racing to drive the 20 car on road and street courses. He joined the team after the 500 last year and drove the remaining street/road courses. This is a great move by ECR. They have a driver they are familiar with and who worked with them last year. Continuity is always an advantage for a young driver.

Almost at the same time, doubt was cast on Mikhail Aleshin’s ride in the 7 car for Sam Schmidt. This is most likely a funding issue.  Aleshin had some great races last year, winning the pole at Pocono and nearly winning the race at Mid-Ohio. Things have been very quiet about what will happen there.

It appears we have seen the last of KV. Nothing new has surfaced since reports of talks with former F1 driver Pastor Maldonado a couple of weeks ago.

In a great move for A J Foyt racing, Will Phillips joins the team. Phillips is the latest addition to a team that is building toward having a much improved season.

Next week: My thoughts on the new season.

……………………………

My at track season begins this weekend with the Rolex24 at Daytona. I hope to have reports all weekend as I track the Indycar drivers taking part.  There are a lot of them. I will get a list out later this week. As a free service for the race, I will telephone you personally at 3 am Sunday morning with a live in-race update. Just DM or message  your number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Race Fans’ Christmas Gift Guide

thepitwindow

Race fans are always happy to receive gifts, especially gifts related to racing.  Here are some suggestions for the race fan on your list, including many gifts that I have enjoyed over the years.

One of the best things I’ve received is tickets to a race. Many fans say they would be happy to go to more races if they had the budget. Race tickets  as a gift are a big help in making races more affordable. If you have never been to an Indycar race, get one for yourself as well. It’s silly to let your friend go alone.

A ride in an Indycar 2-seater will delight any Indycar fan.  It was one of the best I ever got. The ride is good at any track offering them.  There are sometimes discounts on Groupon.  It’s the best way to see what driving an Indycar is all about.

My friend George Phillips, in his Oilpressure.com column yesterday,talks about the Indy Racing Experience. You get to drive an Indycar on your own at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.This is something I want to try in the next couple of years.  If you haven’t read this column before, check it out.  It is always a good read.

Have friends who collect things?  We fans are eager to get our hands on anything related to racing. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has lots of things for the collector. They are currently having daily sales on selected items. They also have a clearance sale in mid-November with incredible deals. Also, check eBay for items like old programs and ticket stubs.

Books about racing, especially racing history, are one thing I can’t get enough of.  I highly recommend Black Noon by Art Garner. It tells the story of the 1964 Indianapolis 500 and talks about how the events of that day came to be and their lasting effects on racing  The author does a great job profiling Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald. This is one of the best books on the history of the 500 I have read.

Beast by Jade Gurss details Roger Penske and Imor engineering developing the Mercedes badged engine that dominated the 1994 500.  It was not as easy as it appeared. Gurss also discusses the brewing storm that led to the split in 1996. Even though you know the outcome, the narrative creates a suspenseful conclusion.

I have not read Lionheart by Andy Hallberry and Jeff Olson. I anticipate receiving it in a few days.  I have heard great things about it, and I will share my thoughts in January. The IMS Museum shop has it online for purchase.

Trivia buffs will enjoy Pat Kennedy’s compilations of trivia questions. He has two volumes of How Much Do You really know about the Indianapolis 500?, The Official Indy 500 Trivia Book, and Indy 500 Recaps, the Short Chute Edition.  The recaps book has a summary of every race and a results table for each race.

Other books I have enjoyed are Vukovich by Bob Gates and Umbrella Mike by Brock Yates. Umbrella Mike tells the story of Mike Boyle, whose cars won three Indianapolis 500s, including the famous Maserati car driven by Wilbur Shaw in 1939 and 1940.

Hard Luck Llloyd by John Lingle is a biography of Llloyd Ruby, a great racer who almost won the 500 several times, but bad luck always seemed to thwart his trip to Victory Lane.

I hope everyone has a great holiday season. I will be back after the first of the year when I settle in following my southern migration.

 

 

Silly Season Semi-Final Update- Filling Up Fast

thepitwindow

It’s great to be back. Many things have intruded on my writing time- health issues, home repair issues, yard work.  I think things have settled down and I can get back to this fun project. I have missed this greatly.

We now have a nearly complete Indycar lineup for the entire season. There are a scattered few left including one unconfirmed seat.

The biggest and best news was Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz  signing with A. J. Foyt Racing. Munoz will drive the 14 and Daly the 4.  Foyt has used the number 4 occasionally. I am glad the 41 is gone. It is such a strange number. Will the team be better?  They should. Daly usually makes a team better. Munoz will get more attention on a smaller team.  I think Munoz has a great chance to win a race next season. Daly might steal one. Last year Conor got to the front on strategy and was able to have the pace to stay there.  Chevrolet power should help both start closer to the front.

The other good news item is J. R. Hildebrand returning full time for Ed Carpenter Racing in the 21 car. Hildebrand puts another former Indy lights champion in the field. J. R. has run well in the 500 the last couple of years. It’s great to have him back full time. Still no word on who will drive the 20 car on road and street courses. Not sure if Spencer Pigot is still under consideration.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in this fall full of surprises is Dale Coyne having both of his cars assigned before the end of the year.  Ed Jones, this year’s Indy Lights champ, joins Sebastian Bourdais. in the Coyne stable. This will be an interesting team to watch.

Our scorecard of open seats now looks like this:

0.5- Car 20, Ed Carpenter Racing

1 – Car 8 at Ganassi. I understand Max Chilton is negotiating a contract to keep the ride.

1- Car 26 at Andretti. Takuma Sato, though likely, not confirmed yet.

1- Car 11 at KV or KV/Carlin? This is still questionable whether they will field a team other than for the 500.

There are a lot of drivers looking to get these open seats. Some possibilities:  R. C. Enerson, Spencer Pigot, Zach Veach, Oriol Servia likely part time with Schmidt in a third car); Jack Harvey, and Kyle Kaiser. Enerson did an impressive job For Dale Coyne in the last three races of the season. I think he will get one of the openings.

Next week, I’ll reveal my 2017  tentative race schedule. Anyone guessing what races I’m attending in May gets a free grandstand seat any practice day during the month. You just pay track admission and the seat is on me.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

 

Silly Season Update- A Trade in the Works; It’s Almost Done

thepitwindow

Yesterday was a busy news day in Indycar Silly Season.  News that Takuma Sato will be in the #26 car at Andretti Autosport really should not be a surprise.  Andretti needs funding for that car. Honda funds Sato as they did when he was with Foyt. This solves two problems.  It appears likely that Carlos Munoz will be going to Foyt. In effect, they traded drivers.

The other big story yesterday was Juan Pablo Montoya accepting Penske’s offer to drive the Indianapolis 500 only  with the promise of a sportscar ride when Penske puts a program together.  Again, this proves a part-time gig with Penske is better than a full time ride elsewhere. This arrangement also gives Team Penske a built-in substitute driver should a situation arise as when Will Power couldn’t race at St. Pete this season.

The biggest beneficiary of yesterday’s moves is Conor Daly.  Taking Montoya away opens the remaining seats up more for him. What seats remain?  There are just a few:

1 at Foyt

1.5 at Carpenter

1 at KV/Carlin?

1 at Ganassi?

1 at Coyne

I think that’s it. I don’t see a completely new team next year, since the aerokits have just one season left. Economically, it doesn’t make sense.  The full time  field should be between 20-22 cars.

For the 500, it will likely still be a struggle to get to 33, even with a 5th Penske car.

It’s possible we could know the entire lineup by December.  The more time I have to learn who is which car the better.

 

 

 

Movie Review-Reengineering Sam

thepitwindow

Sam Schmidt has dreams. He dreams of being able to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.  He dreams of being able to drive a car on the street again. He wants as normal a life as he can. For the first time since the crash at Walt Disney World Speedway that rendered him a quadriplegic, one of his dreams is close to coming true.

The Heartland Film Festival premiered the movie Reengineering Sam yesterday. While it is mainly about building the car that Sam Schmidt drove around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the last two years, the film also tells Sam’s story from childhood to the present day. Ironically, his father was a racer who also had a crash that left him partially paralyzed on his right side.  We also get an intimate look at Sam’s daily routine away from the racetrack and how his family tries to have as normal a life as possible.

The movie contains quite a bit of racing footage, mainly showing some horrific crashes. The 2011 crash at Las Vegas is shown, though not in its entirety. It was difficult to watch.  Schmidt’s crash in 1998 where he broke his feet also appears. It was a foreshadowing of what was to come. His wife tells how he was in a wheelchair after that crash and all he wanted to do was get back in a racecar.

The majority of the film alternates between his family life as told by his wife, Sheila,his children, Savannah and Spencer, and his parents; and ongoing  research and technology  to help quadriplegics regain some mobility.  A neurosurgeon wondered if it would be possible for a quadriplegic to drive a car. He had never heard of Sam until a colleague suggested him.  Arrow Electronics was eager to build the car.

The movie ends triumphantly with Sam driving the modified Corvette around the Speedway in front of a cheering crowd.  The state of Nevada just issued Sam the first driver’s license for a semi-autonomous vehicle. He is the first quadriplegic to receive this license.

Several noteworthy things about the film:

  • Sheila Schmidt’s strength and dedication.
  • The hope for all quadriplegics for more quality of life.
  • Sam’s carry on attitude.
  • The dedicated researchers in the military and hospitals who are working hard on the technology to help improve the lives of paralyzed people.
  • The reminder to me to keep things in perspective.

Reengineering Sam has three more showings at the festival- tonight at 8 pm at Trader’s Point; Tuesday at 12:45 pm at Castleton; and Saturday at 10:45 am at Castleton.

 

 

Dual in Detroit- Racing on the River

thepitwindow

The French had their best weekend in Detroit in almost 300 years.  Two poles and a second place for Simon Pagenaud and a victory by Sebastien Bourdais in Race 1 made this a great weekend for the drivers from France. The racing was decent, not always the case here, and this event has grown and improved each of the three years I have been there. Before my first visit, I didn’t think much of the racing or the event here. Detroit did not seem like a place I cared to go to.

This past weekend I saw one really good race on Saturday and a decent race on Sunday. Both were fuel strategy races. Saturday featured great pit calls by Bourdais and Conor Daly. Daly’s call for fuel only on his last race nearly got him the win. Bourdais’s early pit stop and then exiting the pits ahead of everyone on his last stop sealed the win for him.  Conor Daly’s second place was the highlight of the day for many fans. He could possibly win in Toronto if that race plays out in a similar fashion to this one.

Sunday’s race was more processional, probably due to the threat of rain ending before the start. Teams still employed different pit strategies, but the race didn’t allow them to work. it came down to pit cycles. An untimely yellow cost Helio Castroneves a victory as he had to pit during the caution. It’s the same thing that cost the Penske team a win at mid-Ohio last year.  Not pitting when the pit window opens is a risky move. Will Power won with a great pass of Simon Pagenaud.

As for the Detroit event, It has the ingredients that make a city street race successful: first, buy-in not only from the city, but from the people who live and work there. The shuttle bus to the track on Friday was filled with people who were given the afternoon off by their employers to go out to the island. Many had chalet and suite passes.

Second, an army of friendly, welcoming volunteers. Detroit has the friendliest, most helpful volunteers of any track I go to.  Fans receive a greeting when they arrive and a thank you when they leave. The volunteers are an important part of the buy-in from the community.

Another element that makes this event so much fun is the food court. Every year I have attended, the food choices have improved tremendously. This year offered many healthy choices, including fruit bowls, Greek food, and  vegetable bowls.  It was an upgrade from last year, which I thought was the best I’d ever seen at a track.

Notes:

I was disappointed to not see any Alexander Rossi shirts in the Indycar merchandise tents. I don’t know if this is a league or team responsibility, but he was signed early enough to have shirts made. I would think Indycar would want some souvenirs with the Indy 500 winner’s name on it.

If you go to Detroit next year, Grandstand 2 is the place to be. Great view of the pits, the front straight, and turn 1.

Leaving after the race was greatly improved this year. Every bus in the state of Michigan was pressed into duty to get fans back to their cars downtown. Two years ago I stood in line for more than 90 minutes just to get on the bus. This year I was on a bus and headed downtown in about 40 minutes after leaving my seat.

I will watch the Texas race from home this weekend, but I will be at road America in just 17 days. RA is one of my bucket list tracks.  To prevent total race car withdrawal, I will be going to IMS for the vintage racing meet Father’s day weekend. Pictures aplenty from there.  Hopoe to have another post up by Friday at the latest.