TrackSide Online: Reader Supported IndyCar News
Some of the latest content you find here is only available to TSO subscribers. Twelve months of TrackSide Online costs just $22, and you can signup here.
General Notes for 20-Jan-2012
Posted on 1/20 • Full Article
As mentioned, the Lotus team was at Sebring, but was focusing on getting a lot of miles on their first engine with De Silvestro at the wheel. Remember, Simona was in the car for not just two days at Sebring, but also two days at Palm Beach International Raceway late last week.
Alex Tagliani will be in the Lotus car next week on the road course at Homestead, while Oriol Servia will be in the car when most of the teams test again at Sebring the following week.
Yes, we've read that Lotus is behind and may not be able to supply all the teams who want their engine in time for St. Pete. Not surprising considering that Lotus is at least six months behind the other manufacturers, but something else we'll be watching as the season opener gets closer. Definitely not the situation that that Sarah Fisher, Ed Carpenter, and Eric Bachelart wanted to find themselves in as they try to find an engine supplier. However if one of the possible outcomes is that they end up with Honda or Chevy power, it may be worth the indecision.
ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT SIGNS HINCHCLIFFE TO 2012 INDYCAR LINEUP
Posted on 1/11 • Full Article
Andretti Autosport announced today it has signed Canadian James Hinchcliffe to a multi-year IZOD IndyCar Series deal. Hinchcliffe, a young, yet accomplished racer, steps into a big role as driver of the GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for 2012.
In his first year in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Hinchcliffe took three top-five and seven top-10 finishes to earn the series' Rookie of the Year title despite missing the season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hinchcliffe, a 25-year-old from Toronto with both British and Canadian lineage, finished fourth at the 2011 Long Beach, New Hampshire and Kentucky races.
The well-spoken television and Internet personality makes a great match for Go Daddy, the world's largest Web hosting provider¹ and legendary television advertiser. Hinchcliffe is a skilled driver who has been honored numerous times for his on-track achievements in open-wheel racing. Hinchcliffe was recently a nominee for the 2011 Autosport Rookie of the Year award in England and won the prestigious Greg Moore Legacy Award in 2010 for his efforts in the Firestone Indy Lights. Hinchcliffe becomes the second driver on the Andretti Autosport roster to have won the Greg Moore Legacy Award, joining 2004 winner and new teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay.
TrackSide Online Photos
Visit the TrackSide Online Photo Gallery...
INDYCAR News from around the Internet:
Oliver Webb: Dario Franchitti key to switch to US racing - AUTOSPORT Show news - AUTOSPORT.com (Jan 13, 2012 10:44)
The 20-year-old added that he feels moving to America will improve his chances of becoming a professional driver. "Maybe it would have been different if I'd won the World Series title, we might have gone for GP2," he said. "We had a few offers to progress, but the decision was made to go Stateside. "I want to start becoming a professional driver rather than losing money every year, which is the most common thing in this industry. "This is my career path, and my aim is to win the [Indy Lights] title this year and be in IndyCar next year."City officials seeking new group to run Grand Prix - baltimoresun.com (Dec 30, 2011 16:24)
The city ended Baltimore Racing Development's five-year contract because the company failed to meet the terms of the agreement, including paying a race fee and admissions and amusement taxes, officials said. The racing group owes the city more than $1.5 million in taxes and fees — a fraction of the group's $12 million in debts. "BRD hasn't come up with a plan to demonstrate that they have the capacity to have a successful event next year," said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Kaliope Parthemos. "They haven't come up with a plan to reorganize. They haven't come up with a plan to pay their debts."Baltimore Grand Prix: takeover plans stalled as deadline looms - baltimoresun.com (Dec 29, 2011 06:22)
While shareholders have approved a deal to give control of the company to former Goldman Sachs and Constellation Energy executive Felix J. Dawson, only two of the racing group's five managers have approved the move, those briefed on the agreement said. A third manager's approval is needed for the deal to go through. "They just need the managers to get on board," said investor Sean Conley of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. "I'm not sure why they haven't already."Steadily progressing Victor Carbone eyeing IndyCar Series - Motor Sports - MiamiHerald.com (Dec 20, 2011 08:55)
Carbone has set a goal to finish in the top three of the 2012 points standings, which he thinks would be good enough to get him a sponsor to be able to graduate to IndyCar by 2013. Schmidt said a 2013 promotion is possible. “We knew 12 months ago that because of his limited Formula Car experience, Indy Lights would have to be at least a two-year program for him to learn and apply his talent,” Schmidt said. “We are headed to year two, and we are cautiously optimistic. It’s going to come down to [the 2012] season to see if he can be ready for IndyCar in 2013.”AUTO RACING - INDYCAR: Who Will Take Paul Tracy's $2M? (Dec 19, 2011 18:52)
“The party line has been, ‘We need $6.5 million…’ and that amount of money [from a driver] just isn’t out there,” Tracy said. “They say, ‘Help us get there,’ and the bottom line is that it does take $6.5 million to run one of these new cars for a full season, but where do they think that’s going to come from? If people had that that kind of money to spend, all kinds of rides would be filled, but they aren’t.”Bruton Smith expects IndyCar back at Las Vegas in 2012 - ESPN (Nov 30, 2011 21:52)
At a NASCAR event in downtown Las Vegas, Smith was critical of Bernard's indecision and called on the CEO to honor his agreements with Speedway Motorsports Inc. "I like Randy a lot, but he listens to too many people," Smith said. "He's listening to people who don't know a damn thing about speedways and there's no reason in the world he should not be back at Las Vegas and Texas next year."Silence a lasting memory for Cunningham | Stuff.co.nz (Nov 5, 2011 12:20)
"It wasn't till it was all over and it was quiet again, that's kind of when I realised what had happened. "As I hit the wall and got impacted, a couple of [drivers] went over me and then into me, so I knew it was big at that stage. There was carbon fibre flying everywhere, but it was not till I slid off the wall and came to a stop that I became aware." Cunningham says the view that greeted him when he came to his senses was one of complete carnage. "It looked like the whole field was either upside down or on fire. It was horrific, but at that point you are just trying to get out of the car and take stock. None of us realised how bad Dan was at that point."BBC Sport - Mike Conway on the crash that killed Dan Wheldon (Nov 5, 2011 12:19)
"[After Wheldon's crash], I had thought back to what happened a year ago but you just have to count yourself very lucky," said Conway. "I wasn't too keen to get back into the car, that's for sure, but at the end of the day this is what we all want to do. "I've had a couple of weeks to reflect on it and now I'm focused on next year and getting the best seat possible. I want to do IndyCar - that's the bottom line."IndyCar: Detroit Grand Prix will return in 2012 with Chevrolet as sponsor - Autoweek (Oct 10, 2011 11:51)
The race--last staged in 2008--will be held on June 1-3, 2012, and will feature the Izod IndyCar Series. Roger Penske last month confirmed to Autoweek that the event was likely to take place after the Detroit City Council approved its return. The race weekend disappeared from IndyCar's schedule for the past three years because of the economic recession's impact on Detroit and potential local sponsors. Recent Detroit races also featured the American Le Mans Series, but that appears unlikely this time around as the official test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for the same weekend. AUTO RACING - MILLER: IndyCar's Oval Dilemma (Oct 4, 2011 10:38)
And that’s some Texas logic that’s hard to argue with. We all know what we saw Sunday was a lot more racy than Sonoma or Mid-Ohio. But the bottom line is that three or four times as many people were in Baltimore, Mid-Ohio and Long Beach to eat, drink, socialize, be entertained all day and watch a few hundred feet of cars flashing by their vantage point. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s not because Randy Bernard isn’t trying to keep ovals or because IZOD can’t throw as good a party at them. It’s because at some point during The Split, all those fans who used to pack Phoenix, Milwaukee and Michigan lost interest. And it doesn’t look like they’re ever coming back.
