CLEVELAND (April 5, 1994) -- IMG's auto racing companies, Motormarketing International of Detroit, Inc. and Motormarketing International of Cleveland, Inc. announced today that they will offer a $1 million bonus in 1994 to any IndyCar driver who records the following results: A victory in the 1994 ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix and a victory in the 1994 Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland presented by Dairy Mart and a pole (starting in the No. 1 position) in either Detroit or Cleveland and a new track record time of race in either race this year.
The driver who meets all four requirements will pick up the "Quick Million" bonus.
"I believe that we have found a unique way to tie our company, these two great races and IndyCar together," stated MMI President Bud Stanner. "Our ultimate goal is to bring more excitement to IndyCar and its fans, and I think this bonus award will succeed in doing that."
Andrew Craig, president and chief executive officer of IndyCar (Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc.) commented: "All of us at IndyCar salute IMG's Quick Million bonus. With a million dollars at stake, I think the racing in Detroit and Cleveland will rise to the next level, making the IndyCar fan the biggest winner."
The facts demonstrate that the bonus is attainable. In 1993, PPG Cup champion Nigel Mansell won seven poles and numerous track records enroute to five victories. Reigning Cleveland champion Paul Track also scored five
victories as well as two pole positions and two time-of-race records.
There has only been one year that Detroit and Cleveland have shared the same winner. In 1989, Emerson Fittipaldi won both Grands Prix, however each race had a different person starting from the pole.
"For sure I think this is very exciting for the drivers and should be exciting for all of the fans," commented Marlboro Team Penske's Fittipaldi. "I just wish this had been in effect in '89. I would've only needed a pole. I'm really looking foward now even more than normal to racing in Detroit and Cleveland."
"That's a great incentive," commented Bettenhausen Motorsports/Alumax driver Stefan Johansson. "I'm sure that everybody will be going all out in both races from the start to finish."
The ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix is scheduled for June 10-12 at the Raceway in Belle Isle Park. All focus will be on the winner of that race when the Indy cars come to Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport July 8-10 for the Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland presented by Dairy Mart.
Stanner concluded: "It has become clear that the rainbow starts in Detroit and ends in Cleveland. The pot of gold is there for the taking."
Both races will be televised live throughout the United States on ABC-TV. Each event will be broadcast to more than 100 countries around the world via ESPN International.
IMG, founded by Mark H. McCormack in 1960, is a global sports management and marketing company. The Cleveland-based firm has 62 offices in 21 different countries including Detroit.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
PHOENIX: NEXT TEST FOR TARGET/SCOTCH VIDEO AND MICHAEL ANDRETTI
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (March 31, 1994) -- Fresh from their victory at the opening round of the PPG Indy Car World Series in Australia, Michael Andretti and the Target/Scotch Video Racing team face their next challenge at the
first oval race of the season.
The April 10th, Slick-50 200 Indy Car race at the Phoenix International Raceway will provide Michael with his first opportunity to race his new Target/Scotch Video Reynard 94I Ford-Cosworth on an oval. Michael is a former winner at Phoenix (1986) and also sat on the pole in his most recent appearance in 1992. During the winter testing season, Michael posted the second fastest time at Phoenix, dipping into the 19 second range.
Michael talks about his chances on the banked oval, "Our testing has gone well at Phoenix so I know we are in the ball park. I like Phoenix, it's a great track to race at with all the different grooves but more often than not, traffic can dictate the outcome of the race."
Michael is the PPG Cup points leader coming into this race thanks to his 28th career IndyCar victory on the streets of Surfers Paradise. He is now alone at sixth place in all-time IndyCar wins and is only one win behind Rick Mears. This is the 17th time Michael has led the most laps on his way to victory. He also has increased his laps led total to 4349, fifth on the all-time list.
Michael will be going for his third consecutive IndyCar win dating back to 1992 but he knows it won't be easy, "The fastest car doesn't always win at Phoenix, the one that works best in traffic usually prevails. As a team, we have to keep in mind that we really need two different chassis set-ups, one for qualifying and then a higher downforce set-up for the race."
Official race practice begins on Friday, April 8th after two days of open testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 5th and 6th. Qualifying takes place on Saturday, April 9th. The 200 lap race begins at 2:00 PM MST on Sunday,
April 10th. ESPN will broadcast the race the same day at 5:00 PM EDT, please check your local listings.
PHOENIX OPEN TEST
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
APRIL, 6, 1994
COMBINED TIMES (Tuesday & Wednesday)
--------------
POSITION DRIVER CAR # LAP TIME SPEED
-------- ------ ----- -------- ------
1 Nigel Mansell 1 20.281 177.506
2 Jimmy Vasser 18 20.698 173.930
3 Scott Sharp 71 20.701 173.905
4 Jacques Villeneuve 12 20.745 173.536
5 Raul Boesel 5 20.746 173.527
6 Michael Andretti 8X 20.751 173.486
7 Teo Fabi 11 20.761 173.402
8 Robby Gordon 9 20.799 173.085
9 Dominic Dobson 17 20.848 172.678
10 Scott Goodyear 40 21.014 171.314
11 Mario Andretti 6 21.054 170.989
12 Stefan Johansson 16 21.190 169.891
13 Michael Andretti 8 21.219 169.659
14 Adrian Fernandez 7 21.304 168.982
15 Mark Smith 9 21.406 168.177
16 Jacques Villeneuve 12X 21.497 167.465
17 Bobby Rahal 4 21.609 166.597
18 Arie Luyendyk 28 21.709 165.830
19 Hiro Matsushita 22 22.149 162.536
20 Marco Greco 25 22.188 162.250
21 Davy Jones 14X 22.212 162.076
22 John Paul Jr. 45 22.218 162.031
23 Davy Jones 14 22.524 159.830
24 Buddy Lazier 23 22.644 158.983
25 Brian Till 19 23.207 155.126
first oval race of the season.
The April 10th, Slick-50 200 Indy Car race at the Phoenix International Raceway will provide Michael with his first opportunity to race his new Target/Scotch Video Reynard 94I Ford-Cosworth on an oval. Michael is a former winner at Phoenix (1986) and also sat on the pole in his most recent appearance in 1992. During the winter testing season, Michael posted the second fastest time at Phoenix, dipping into the 19 second range.
Michael talks about his chances on the banked oval, "Our testing has gone well at Phoenix so I know we are in the ball park. I like Phoenix, it's a great track to race at with all the different grooves but more often than not, traffic can dictate the outcome of the race."
Michael is the PPG Cup points leader coming into this race thanks to his 28th career IndyCar victory on the streets of Surfers Paradise. He is now alone at sixth place in all-time IndyCar wins and is only one win behind Rick Mears. This is the 17th time Michael has led the most laps on his way to victory. He also has increased his laps led total to 4349, fifth on the all-time list.
Michael will be going for his third consecutive IndyCar win dating back to 1992 but he knows it won't be easy, "The fastest car doesn't always win at Phoenix, the one that works best in traffic usually prevails. As a team, we have to keep in mind that we really need two different chassis set-ups, one for qualifying and then a higher downforce set-up for the race."
Official race practice begins on Friday, April 8th after two days of open testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 5th and 6th. Qualifying takes place on Saturday, April 9th. The 200 lap race begins at 2:00 PM MST on Sunday,
April 10th. ESPN will broadcast the race the same day at 5:00 PM EDT, please check your local listings.
PHOENIX OPEN TEST
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
APRIL, 6, 1994
COMBINED TIMES (Tuesday & Wednesday)
--------------
POSITION DRIVER CAR # LAP TIME SPEED
-------- ------ ----- -------- ------
1 Nigel Mansell 1 20.281 177.506
2 Jimmy Vasser 18 20.698 173.930
3 Scott Sharp 71 20.701 173.905
4 Jacques Villeneuve 12 20.745 173.536
5 Raul Boesel 5 20.746 173.527
6 Michael Andretti 8X 20.751 173.486
7 Teo Fabi 11 20.761 173.402
8 Robby Gordon 9 20.799 173.085
9 Dominic Dobson 17 20.848 172.678
10 Scott Goodyear 40 21.014 171.314
11 Mario Andretti 6 21.054 170.989
12 Stefan Johansson 16 21.190 169.891
13 Michael Andretti 8 21.219 169.659
14 Adrian Fernandez 7 21.304 168.982
15 Mark Smith 9 21.406 168.177
16 Jacques Villeneuve 12X 21.497 167.465
17 Bobby Rahal 4 21.609 166.597
18 Arie Luyendyk 28 21.709 165.830
19 Hiro Matsushita 22 22.149 162.536
20 Marco Greco 25 22.188 162.250
21 Davy Jones 14X 22.212 162.076
22 John Paul Jr. 45 22.218 162.031
23 Davy Jones 14 22.524 159.830
24 Buddy Lazier 23 22.644 158.983
25 Brian Till 19 23.207 155.126
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Andretti and Dad Finish 1st and 3rd in 1994 Indycar season opener
SURFERS PARADISE, Australia, March 20— Michael Andretti ignored an angry invitation from Nigel Mansell today to "put the boxing gloves on" and won the Australian IndyCar Grand Prix.
Andretti led from the start of the race, which was delayed 2 hours 20 minutes by rain. The race ended after 55 laps, 10 short, due to darkness.
Andretti finished 1.33 seconds ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi. Mario Andretti, driving on the same team with Mansell, was third over the 2.795-mile course. Mansell was ninth.
Mansell, the pole-sitter, had claimed Michael Andretti, had cut him off at the end of a pace lap.
"Mansell went over to Andretti and pushed him on the shoulder, sort of pointing the finger at him," said Richard Campion, a freelance photographer. "Mansell said, 'Let's settle this right now, Michael, let's put the boxing gloves on.' " Andretti replied: "It wasn't me, Nigel." But Mansell said: "It was you."
Monday, August 24, 2009
All the F1 action at Valencia was off the track
From Autoweek: It was perhaps inevitable that the European Grand Prix weekend in Valencia, Spain, was going to be a little flat. Michael Schumacher was there all right, and wearing Ferrari clothing--but not the driver's suit virtually everyone hoped he would. Schumacher smiled a lot and kept wishing Ferrari stand-in Luca Badoer well, but that didn't really help. And as he stared at the timing screens, it was impossible to disguise Schumacher's frustration at Badoer's, er, modest pace.
During Friday practice, the hapless Badoer set a record by exceeding the pit-lane speed limit on four different occasions--as the paddock's razor-tongued observers noted, somewhat cruelly, that no one could accuse him of excessive speed on the racetack. In qualifying, the No. 3 Ferrari was dead last; 12 months ago, driven by Felipe Massa, it dominated the weekend.
Dario Franchitti leads flag-to-flag to win in Sonoma
From The Los Angeles Times - Sonoma, Calif. - One unique feature of Infineon Raceway is Turn 2, where the drivers make a sharp right after accelerating up a steep hill moments after crossing the starting line.
Maneuvering through that section of the 12-turn, 2.3-mile track is tricky enough when the cars are single file. When they're bunched together, it gets even dicier.
So it was Sunday at the start of the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, as a cluster of cars -- including then-points leader Scott Dixon's -- collided as they moved through Turn 2 on the first lap, effectively knocking them out of contention.
But the mishap occurred behind pole-sitter Dario Franchitti, who then held off Ryan Briscoe to lead all 75 laps and collect his first win at the Infineon course in the hills of Northern California wine country.
Yet, with his second-place finish, Briscoe left Sonoma with the lead in the IndyCar championship standings.
Maneuvering through that section of the 12-turn, 2.3-mile track is tricky enough when the cars are single file. When they're bunched together, it gets even dicier.
So it was Sunday at the start of the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, as a cluster of cars -- including then-points leader Scott Dixon's -- collided as they moved through Turn 2 on the first lap, effectively knocking them out of contention.
But the mishap occurred behind pole-sitter Dario Franchitti, who then held off Ryan Briscoe to lead all 75 laps and collect his first win at the Infineon course in the hills of Northern California wine country.
Yet, with his second-place finish, Briscoe left Sonoma with the lead in the IndyCar championship standings.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Kyle Busch wins in Bristol
From Racin' Today: Kyle Busch held off Mark Martin for the season sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway as both drivers fought for every point available in their quest to make the Chase for NASCAR Sprint Cup. Hear from Busch and Martin and find out who is on the Chase bubble with just two races to go.
Rubens Barrichello ends winless drought in Valencia
From AFP: VALENCIA, Spain: Drivers world championship leader Briton Jenson Button was upbeat on Monday when he reflected on the positive side of seeing his Brawn GP team-mate veteran Rubens Barrichello winning Sunday's European Grand Prix.
Despite finishing only seventh in a demanding race on the streets of this Mediterranean port city, he managed to increase his championship lead over Red Bull rivals Australian Mark Webber
and German Sebastian Vettel.
Button said: "It ended up as a bit of struggle for me, but I take more positives than negatives from this one - and it is great to see Rubens winning. The team have asked me to push harder now if I want to win the title..."
Barrichello's first win in five years not only lifted him back up to second in the drivers' title race, it also confirmed the two Brawn men as the front runners again after a spell of three races without success - though, as Button said, he would rather have not lost so many points to his partner.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Brian Vickers gets longed-for win at Michigan
From the Detroit Free Press:
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Brian Vickers' weekend at Michigan International Speedway was full of drama that included a tussle with NASACAR's
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Brian Vickers' weekend at Michigan International Speedway was full of drama that included a tussle with NASACAR's
But Vickers' drama peaked, in a positive way, Sunday when he won his first Sprint Cup race in three years, driving his No. 83 Red Bull Toyota to victory in the CARFAX 400. The victory also thrust him into the battle for a position in the Chase for the Championship.
Vickers, 25, stalked Chevy ace Jimmie Johnson in the late laps of the race before Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet
Vickers, whose previous Cup victory came at Talladega in 2006, shot to the lead and the finish line, giving Toyota its first Cup win at MIS.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
David Brabham scores a win at Road America
By Jonathan Ingram at RacinToday.com:
Elkhart Lake, Wis. – In a battle of two master craftsmen on one of America’s finest road racing circuits, David Brabham held off the challenge from Gil de Ferran for the last 14 laps to bring Highcroft Racing the victory by 0.461 seconds in the American Le Mans Series event at Road America .
The Acuras of Highcroft and de Ferran Motorsports were nose-to-tail as the green waved for a re-start with 29 minutes remaining in the two hour, 45-minute race.
Once again, a two-tire stop for Highcroft had brought Brabham the lead over the de Ferran entry. But unlike Lime Rock, where a puncture cost Brabham and co-driver Scott Sharp the victory, the Highcroft duo recorded the win and ended the four-race winning streak of de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud.
“You just have to drive the wheels off it,” said Brabham of the duel between the two ARX-02a entries. “We knew whoever got out of the pits first was going to win the race.”
The de Ferran team opted for four tires instead of two, a decision driver de Ferran thought would spell the difference. “I felt we were quicker than David,” he said. “But I had too much understeer behind him. I couldn’t quite get close enough to attempt a maneuver.”
Get qualifying coverage here
Elkhart Lake, Wis. – In a battle of two master craftsmen on one of America’s finest road racing circuits, David Brabham held off the challenge from Gil de Ferran for the last 14 laps to bring Highcroft Racing the victory by 0.461 seconds in the American Le Mans Series event at Road America .
The Acuras of Highcroft and de Ferran Motorsports were nose-to-tail as the green waved for a re-start with 29 minutes remaining in the two hour, 45-minute race.
Once again, a two-tire stop for Highcroft had brought Brabham the lead over the de Ferran entry. But unlike Lime Rock, where a puncture cost Brabham and co-driver Scott Sharp the victory, the Highcroft duo recorded the win and ended the four-race winning streak of de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud.
“You just have to drive the wheels off it,” said Brabham of the duel between the two ARX-02a entries. “We knew whoever got out of the pits first was going to win the race.”
The de Ferran team opted for four tires instead of two, a decision driver de Ferran thought would spell the difference. “I felt we were quicker than David,” he said. “But I had too much understeer behind him. I couldn’t quite get close enough to attempt a maneuver.”
Get qualifying coverage here
Monday, August 10, 2009
Jeff Gordon hurts back in big Watkins Glen wreck
From Sports Illustrated: Jeff Gordon once was the master of Watkins Glen International. Now, he can't seem to catch a break at the storied road course.
Relegated to starting 31st after the worst qualifying effort of his career, the four-time Cup champion was making headway despite some damage to his No. 24 Chevy in Monday's rain-delayed race at Watkins Glen International.
WGI is a road course equivalent of Talladega Superspeedway, always capable of precipitating a big crash. Last year an 11-car pileup in turn 11 caused a 43-minute stoppage. On Monday, a multicar crash involving Gordon and Sam Hornish Jr. on lap 63 brought out a 19-minute red flag.
Kasey Kahne caused it when he dived inside Hornish coming out of turn 9 and sent Hornish off onto the grass on the left side. Hornish's No. 77 Dodge caromed off a tire barrier and back onto the track, and Gordon's No. 24 Chevy slammed head-on into it, spinning violently around into the guard rail lining the track.
Both Gordon and Hornish climbed from their cars and were uninjured.
"It's just not what I needed,'' said Gordon, who suffers from chronic back pain. "You take three or four steps forward, take a hit like that, and take a couple back. I knew he was going to ricochet off. I just hoped I could get by him.
"It took a toll on my back again,'' Gordon said. "If we were going to Bristol next week, I'd be concerned. Every time I take a hit, it seems to recover. We'll be all right.''
Gordon completed 61 of 90 laps and finished 37th, his first DNF of the season, and remains third in the standings.
Read more
Relegated to starting 31st after the worst qualifying effort of his career, the four-time Cup champion was making headway despite some damage to his No. 24 Chevy in Monday's rain-delayed race at Watkins Glen International.
WGI is a road course equivalent of Talladega Superspeedway, always capable of precipitating a big crash. Last year an 11-car pileup in turn 11 caused a 43-minute stoppage. On Monday, a multicar crash involving Gordon and Sam Hornish Jr. on lap 63 brought out a 19-minute red flag.
Kasey Kahne caused it when he dived inside Hornish coming out of turn 9 and sent Hornish off onto the grass on the left side. Hornish's No. 77 Dodge caromed off a tire barrier and back onto the track, and Gordon's No. 24 Chevy slammed head-on into it, spinning violently around into the guard rail lining the track.
Both Gordon and Hornish climbed from their cars and were uninjured.
"It's just not what I needed,'' said Gordon, who suffers from chronic back pain. "You take three or four steps forward, take a hit like that, and take a couple back. I knew he was going to ricochet off. I just hoped I could get by him.
"It took a toll on my back again,'' Gordon said. "If we were going to Bristol next week, I'd be concerned. Every time I take a hit, it seems to recover. We'll be all right.''
Gordon completed 61 of 90 laps and finished 37th, his first DNF of the season, and remains third in the standings.
Read more
Scott Dixon's win at Mid-Ohio gives him IRL Indycar record
From the Miami Herald/Sports Network:
Scott Dixon doesn't have the star quality of Helio Castroneves, the Scottish brogue of teammate Dario Franchitti or the All-American stature of Sam Hornish Jr.
What the affable New Zealander does have, however, is the IndyCar Series record for career wins.
Not that he's counting, not even after his dominant victory at Mid-Ohio on Sunday gave him 20 victories in the open-wheel series, breaking a tie with Hornish.
Scott Dixon blazed the field to win Sunday's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and surpass Sam Hornish, Jr. for most career victories in the IndyCar Series with 20.
Dixon passed Justin Wilson during the mid-stages of the race and then benefited from a quick pit stop to dominate late in the race. Wilson trailed Dixon by six seconds but ran out of fuel, as he coasted onto pit road for his final stop. His car then stalled while exiting his pit area.
Wilson's mishap helped Dixon to finish nearly 30 seconds ahead of pole sitter Ryan Briscoe for his series-leading fourth victory of the season. He also won on a road course for the first time since July, 2008 at Edmonton.
"Obviously it's a fantastic milestone for myself and obviously for the team," Dixon said regarding his record 20th win. "I've achieved all of those wins with Target. Without them, it wouldn't have been possible."
Dixon, the defending series champion, tied Hornish's mark of 19 career wins in June at Richmond. Hornish, who won three series titles, moved to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition after the 2007 season.
With four races remaining in the season, Dixon reclaimed the lead in the championship standings. He holds a three-point advantage over Briscoe, who has finished either first or second in seven of the last nine races. Dixon's Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti is now 20 markers behind.
Scott Dixon doesn't have the star quality of Helio Castroneves, the Scottish brogue of teammate Dario Franchitti or the All-American stature of Sam Hornish Jr.
What the affable New Zealander does have, however, is the IndyCar Series record for career wins.
Not that he's counting, not even after his dominant victory at Mid-Ohio on Sunday gave him 20 victories in the open-wheel series, breaking a tie with Hornish.
Scott Dixon blazed the field to win Sunday's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and surpass Sam Hornish, Jr. for most career victories in the IndyCar Series with 20.
Dixon passed Justin Wilson during the mid-stages of the race and then benefited from a quick pit stop to dominate late in the race. Wilson trailed Dixon by six seconds but ran out of fuel, as he coasted onto pit road for his final stop. His car then stalled while exiting his pit area.
Wilson's mishap helped Dixon to finish nearly 30 seconds ahead of pole sitter Ryan Briscoe for his series-leading fourth victory of the season. He also won on a road course for the first time since July, 2008 at Edmonton.
"Obviously it's a fantastic milestone for myself and obviously for the team," Dixon said regarding his record 20th win. "I've achieved all of those wins with Target. Without them, it wouldn't have been possible."
Dixon, the defending series champion, tied Hornish's mark of 19 career wins in June at Richmond. Hornish, who won three series titles, moved to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition after the 2007 season.
With four races remaining in the season, Dixon reclaimed the lead in the championship standings. He holds a three-point advantage over Briscoe, who has finished either first or second in seven of the last nine races. Dixon's Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti is now 20 markers behind.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Mid-Ohio produces fourth straight ALMS win for Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud
From Autoweek: Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud went flag-to-flag Saturday to win the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, their fourth consecutive overall victory in the American Le Mans Series. Team owner de Ferran qualified on the overall pole position, and the pairing won at Mid-Ohio for the first time in their careers.
The victorious team boss crossed the finish line in the de Ferran XM Acura ARX-02a 8.358 seconds ahead of Patrón Highcroft Racing's David Brabham and the Acura that he drove with LMP1 championship co-leader Scott Sharp.
Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz won their fifth LMP2 race of the year and were third overall in the Lowe's Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b. The class championship leaders won the race with a short-fill for fuel on the race's final caution period while running second. The Acura was the first car out of the pit lane, beating the de Ferran Acura and receiving a free pass by the safety car, which had to pick up overall leader de Ferran.
The victorious team boss crossed the finish line in the de Ferran XM Acura ARX-02a 8.358 seconds ahead of Patrón Highcroft Racing's David Brabham and the Acura that he drove with LMP1 championship co-leader Scott Sharp.
Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz won their fifth LMP2 race of the year and were third overall in the Lowe's Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b. The class championship leaders won the race with a short-fill for fuel on the race's final caution period while running second. The Acura was the first car out of the pit lane, beating the de Ferran Acura and receiving a free pass by the safety car, which had to pick up overall leader de Ferran.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Robert Doornbos returns to HVM; Oriol Servia takes his spot at Newman/Haas Lanigan
From Tony DiZinno at Motorsport.com
That sound you hear off-track this weekend at Mid-Ohio is someone cueing up "IndyCar musical chairs," because it's August and drivers are rotating around the seats until someone is left standing. To start the process, one of this year's rookie-of-the-year contenders is rejoining the team where he won that award in 2007 in Champ Car.
Robert Doornbos, the affable Dutchman better known as "Bobby D," has confirmed a departure from Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, after an anonymous first 12 races this season. "Bobby D" now reunites with HVM Racing for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010.
The vacancy this weekend at N/H/L goes then to a driver also with prior experience in the team, and it's a welcome return for Oriol Servia who filled in admirably for Bruno Junqueira in 2005. Servia, like Junqueira, has spent all but the month of May in 2009 on the sidelines and now takes his spot in the #06 entry.
That sound you hear off-track this weekend at Mid-Ohio is someone cueing up "IndyCar musical chairs," because it's August and drivers are rotating around the seats until someone is left standing. To start the process, one of this year's rookie-of-the-year contenders is rejoining the team where he won that award in 2007 in Champ Car.
Robert Doornbos, the affable Dutchman better known as "Bobby D," has confirmed a departure from Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, after an anonymous first 12 races this season. "Bobby D" now reunites with HVM Racing for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010.
The vacancy this weekend at N/H/L goes then to a driver also with prior experience in the team, and it's a welcome return for Oriol Servia who filled in admirably for Bruno Junqueira in 2005. Servia, like Junqueira, has spent all but the month of May in 2009 on the sidelines and now takes his spot in the #06 entry.
The 'roar' of Indycars in Miami
In the 1980s real estate developer Ralph Sanchez helped promote Miami by bringing auto racing downtown. First, with the IMSA Camel GT series with a race held just outside the Port of Miami at Bicentennial Park in March and then with an Indycar race held at Tamiami Park in November. While the Camel GT race flourished, the Indycar race never drew as many fans. The Indycar race was held 1985-88 and featured the Marlboro Challenge, a short race featuring Indycar's top drivers from the season all seeking their share of a healthy prize fund.
The most-memorable Indycar race at Tamiami was 1985, when Al Unser beat his son to the championship by a single point. Here are a couple of articles previewing the race, as well as post-race coverage.
A lot of work was done to help promote the Indycar race, including this promotional video titled "Roar of Miami" and featuring David Hasselhoff of Knight Rider fame.
While Indycar stopped coming to Miami, the Camel GT race flourished until 1993. After that season the big and powerful GTP cars were replaced by a new formula that attracted few entrants. Camel money had dried up as well and budget cuts meant the IMSA series would not return for 1994. Ralph had already begun plans to use reclaimed land in nearby Homestead, devastated by a hurricane a few year's earlier, to build a permanent oval. For 1994, Sanchez hosted a Trans-Am race at Bicentennial Park and had hoped to have the oval ready in time for Indycar's return to Florida in 1995. It wasn't, which lead to a one-off visit by Indycar to downtown Miami. Beginning in 1996, open-wheel racers would regularly visit the Homestead-Miami Speedway; some year's both the CART Fed-Ex Series and the Indy Racing League making visits to the track. Champ Car also tried to revive downtown racing in Miami in 2002-03 but the new circuit was crammed into a small section of the city, offered little opportunity for racing or fan access, and was not successful.
The most-memorable Indycar race at Tamiami was 1985, when Al Unser beat his son to the championship by a single point. Here are a couple of articles previewing the race, as well as post-race coverage.
A lot of work was done to help promote the Indycar race, including this promotional video titled "Roar of Miami" and featuring David Hasselhoff of Knight Rider fame.
While Indycar stopped coming to Miami, the Camel GT race flourished until 1993. After that season the big and powerful GTP cars were replaced by a new formula that attracted few entrants. Camel money had dried up as well and budget cuts meant the IMSA series would not return for 1994. Ralph had already begun plans to use reclaimed land in nearby Homestead, devastated by a hurricane a few year's earlier, to build a permanent oval. For 1994, Sanchez hosted a Trans-Am race at Bicentennial Park and had hoped to have the oval ready in time for Indycar's return to Florida in 1995. It wasn't, which lead to a one-off visit by Indycar to downtown Miami. Beginning in 1996, open-wheel racers would regularly visit the Homestead-Miami Speedway; some year's both the CART Fed-Ex Series and the Indy Racing League making visits to the track. Champ Car also tried to revive downtown racing in Miami in 2002-03 but the new circuit was crammed into a small section of the city, offered little opportunity for racing or fan access, and was not successful.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Should they stay or should they go? Is Acura about to bow out of the ALMS?
Autoweek is reporting what many in the American Le Mans Series paddock believe is already a fact: That "Acura looks increasingly likely to quit its LMP1 prototype program in the American Le Mans Series."
A global economic meltdown coupled with the departure of Audi from LMP1 and Porsche from LMP2 has created a cavernous lack of competition at the front-end of the ALMS grids this season. And the "show" has suffered. Crowds are down, TV ratings are down and media interest is almost non-existent.
When the ALMS was first formed in the late 90s, it was just what American sports car racing needed. The series quickly attracted top-flight teams and manufacturers, including BMW, Audi, Chevrolet (Corvette) and Ferrari, to name a few.
Within a few years the series was in major markets, hosting its own street race (Washington, D.C.) and getting good ratings on major networks like NBC. The racing only got better when Porsche and Acura joined Audi. But running in LMP1 or 2 costs a lot of money, and Audi was getting upset that Porsche and Acura were getting overall wins while running in the "cheaper" LMP2 class.
Then the economy turned and it made a simple excuse for many to bolt. Meanwhile, the Rolex Grand-Am series developed a reasonable-cost alternative prototype car, getting a number of car and engine builders interested. They've also seen a small reduction in grids, but no where near the drop the ALMS has experienced.
The ALMS still provides a good show - the GT2 class features some great battles between BMW and Ferrari, and Jaguar and Corvette (jumping from the now-defunct GT1 class) are set to join the fray. But these are modified street cars, not the prototype racers that the crowds love to see. Case in point: after the end of the GTP/Lights IMSA era, it was the prototype Ferrari 333SPs and similar racers that made the crowds come, and when they departed, the crowds left.
The same thing that made ALMS great - its exotic racers - is what makes Grand-Am successful now, and why Grand-Am abandoned its plans to feature street-based cars for the DPs back in 2001. If the American Le Mans Series is going to remain viable, it has to make a choice: Continue to follow the Le Mans rules and keep car costs high or change course, focus on the GT2 class at Le Mans and let teams build cost-effective prototypes that require minimal manufacturer investment. A third option, hoping the economy turns around and Audi and other manufacturers return, just does not make sense from anyone's point of view.
A global economic meltdown coupled with the departure of Audi from LMP1 and Porsche from LMP2 has created a cavernous lack of competition at the front-end of the ALMS grids this season. And the "show" has suffered. Crowds are down, TV ratings are down and media interest is almost non-existent.
When the ALMS was first formed in the late 90s, it was just what American sports car racing needed. The series quickly attracted top-flight teams and manufacturers, including BMW, Audi, Chevrolet (Corvette) and Ferrari, to name a few.
Within a few years the series was in major markets, hosting its own street race (Washington, D.C.) and getting good ratings on major networks like NBC. The racing only got better when Porsche and Acura joined Audi. But running in LMP1 or 2 costs a lot of money, and Audi was getting upset that Porsche and Acura were getting overall wins while running in the "cheaper" LMP2 class.
Then the economy turned and it made a simple excuse for many to bolt. Meanwhile, the Rolex Grand-Am series developed a reasonable-cost alternative prototype car, getting a number of car and engine builders interested. They've also seen a small reduction in grids, but no where near the drop the ALMS has experienced.
The ALMS still provides a good show - the GT2 class features some great battles between BMW and Ferrari, and Jaguar and Corvette (jumping from the now-defunct GT1 class) are set to join the fray. But these are modified street cars, not the prototype racers that the crowds love to see. Case in point: after the end of the GTP/Lights IMSA era, it was the prototype Ferrari 333SPs and similar racers that made the crowds come, and when they departed, the crowds left.
The same thing that made ALMS great - its exotic racers - is what makes Grand-Am successful now, and why Grand-Am abandoned its plans to feature street-based cars for the DPs back in 2001. If the American Le Mans Series is going to remain viable, it has to make a choice: Continue to follow the Le Mans rules and keep car costs high or change course, focus on the GT2 class at Le Mans and let teams build cost-effective prototypes that require minimal manufacturer investment. A third option, hoping the economy turns around and Audi and other manufacturers return, just does not make sense from anyone's point of view.
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