Haven't talked much about IndyCar lately (unless you count matching drivers with Thanksgiving dishes) but there has been plenty of news in the past few days.
First, the IndyCar television schedule has been announced. Thirteen of the eighteen races will air on NBCSN with five rounds, including the season opener at St. Petersburg, inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Indianapolis 500 and Belle Isle doubleheader airing on ABC with ABC also providing Indianapolis 500 qualification coverage.
NBCSN's first race of the season will be the Long Beach Grand Prix and will show the following event at Barber Motorsports Park before ABC takes over for the month of May and the first day of June. NBCSN will then pick up coverage at Texas through the season finale at Fontana.
Once NBCSN takes over, majority of the races will air at 3:00 p.m. ET with all the ABC races starting at 3:30 p.m. ET except for the Indianapolis 500 which coverage will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Here is a full list of races by start time (all times Eastern):
11:00 a.m: Indianapolis 500 (May 25).
Noon: Pocono 500 (July 7).
2:30 p.m: Barber (April 27).
3:00 p.m: Houston (June 28 and 29), Toronto (July 19 and 20), Mid-Ohio (August 3), Milwaukee (August 17).
3:30 p.m: St. Petersburg (March 30), Grand Prix of Indianapolis (May 10), Belle Isle (May 31 and June 1).
4:00 p.m: Long Beach (April 13), Sonoma (August 24).
8:00 p.m: Texas (June 7), Iowa (July 12).
9:00 p.m: Fontana (August 30).
Indianapolis 500 qualification coverage on ABC will begin at 4:00 p.m. Saturday May 17 with coverage continuing the following day (May 18) at 1:00 p.m.
Few things:
1. Interesting to see the schedule say Indianapolis 500 qualifications are day 1 and day 2, not pole day and bump day. I smell changes coming. Be prepared. Also, not sure how long ABC's coverage of qualifying will be. It isn't crazy to think they will do 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on "day 1" but five hours on "day 2" seems to be a stretch. Not sure how one will be able to see first few hours of "day 1" qualifications. The last couple of years any un-televised hours of qualifying have been available on IndyCar.com. I'd like to see ABC/ESPN step up and broadcast them on ESPN3.com but that's just me.
2. Houston at 2:00 p.m. local time is going to hot. Start hydrating now.
3. Overall, not a terrible schedule. There is one, count it one break of two weeks. There is no need to complain that there is too much off time between races. These teams will have three stretches of three consecutive races or more, one includes a doubleheader (Indianapolis, Belle Isle, Texas), another is bookended by doubleheaders. (Houston, Pocono, Iowa, Toronto) and the other ends the season (Milwaukee, Sonoma, Fontana).
A few IndyCar races go head-to-head with NASCAR:
March 30th, St. Petersburg and Martinsville go head-to-head.
Long Beach is the day after NASCAR at Darlington.
Barber is the day after NASCAR at Richmond but is the week before NASCAR heads to Talladega.
Grand Prix of Indianapolis is the same day as NASCAR at Kansas but Kansas is a night race.
Of course, Indianapolis 500 is the same day as NASCAR at Charlotte but Charlotte is a night race.
Belle Isle goes head-to-head with NASCAR at Dover, Nationwide on Saturday and Cup on Sunday.
Texas is the day before NASCAR at Pocono.
The first race at Houston is the same day as NASCAR at Kentucky but Kentucky is a night race.
Pocono is the day after NASCAR at Daytona.
Iowa is the day before NASCAR at New Hampshire.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is off the Toronto race weekend. However the Nationwide Series will be at Chicagoland the same day as race one. However, Chicagoland could be a night race and not happen simultaneously.
Mid-Ohio will go head-to-head with NASCAR at Pocono.
Milwaukee will go head-to-head with NASCAR at Michigan.
Sonoma is the day after NASCAR at Bristol.
Fontana is the day before Sprint Cup at Atlanta but could be head-to-head with the Nationwide Series that weekend.
By my count, four IndyCar races will happen simultaneously with Sprint Cup races with possibly another three happening simultaneously against the Nationwide Series.
In case you are Leigh Diffey and the lead commentator for both IndyCar and Formula One coverage on NBCSN, four weekends feature both IndyCar and Formula One races. Texas is the day before the Canadian Grand Prix. I don't see why he couldn't do both (and why he couldn't bring some Formula One drivers down to Texas the night before). Pocono and the British Grand Prix, race two at Toronto and the German Grand Prix and Sonoma and the Belgian Grand Prix all occur on the same day and on the same network.
Three other weekends feature both IndyCar and Formula One but IndyCar will be on ABC (St. Petersburg and Malaysia, Grand Prix of Indianapolis and Spain (though Spain is the following day) and the Indianapolis 500 and Monaco).
In case you are worried about IndyCar offseason being too long after the end of the 2014 season, don't worry, Hulman and Company CEO Mark Miles said he is target the Middle East, India and South Africa to host races in February and March in 2015.
Some non-schedule related news, Paul Page will return as the lead commentator for the IMS Radio Network and the voice of the Indianapolis 500.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
My Sportsman: Nicki Thiim
Had you told Nicki Thiim on January 1st of this year that we would win a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship driving for the factory Aston Martin team and would win the Porsche Supercup Championship in 2013, you probably would have made his year. Had you gone on to tell him the reality of how he ended up at Aston Martin and as Porsche Supercup champion he probably would have said he'll pass on the ride and the honor.
We can't change reality. Nicki Thiim had a incredible year in sports cars and did so carrying on the memory of two talented drivers. Thiim entered 2013 as an up and coming driver from Denmark. At 24, Thiim was already on the cusp of taking that next step in motorsports. He won a class in the 2009 24 Hours Nürburgring and finished third in the 2012 Porsche Supercup behind René Rast who took his third consecutive title and his teammate Kévin Estre.
Estre and Thiim teamed up again for the 2013 championship. In the opening round Thiim finished second to Sean Edwards at Barcelona. Edwards was coming off a second consecutive win in the 24 Hours of Dubai and had been slowly been working his up the ranks in Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and Supercup. After the opening weekend of the 2013 Porsche Supercup weekend, Thiim and Edwards went on to win the 24 Hours Nürburgring teamed with legendary German driver Bernd Schneider and Jeroen Bleekemolen, giving Mercedes-Benz their first ever victory in the German endurance classic.
After their victory at the Nürburgring, Edwards and Thiim would win the next two rounds of the Porsche Supercup season at Monaco and Silverstone. Prior to Silverstone however, the most sobering event that can happen in motorsports occurred and opened a door for Thiim's future. Allan Simonsen's death in the 24 Hours of Le Mans left a door open in a factory Aston Martin in the World Endurance Championship. Simonsen had been the lead driver to Aston Martin's young driver team and his vacancy was only fittingly filled by a fellow Dane: Nicki Thiim.
In the first WEC race after Simonsen's death, the all-Danish team of Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Thiim were having a great run in class at Interlagos until a mechanical failure ended their day early. Thiim would go on to win the following weekend in Porsche Supercup at Monza and narrow the gap between him and Edwards to eighteen points entering the season finale race weekend at Yas Marina. Thiim would continue his success in WEC with a second in class at Austin to his Aston Martin teammates Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall.
Unfortunately motorsports threw another sobering blow. Sean Edwards was killed in a training accident at Queensland Raceway in Australia weeks prior to the Porsche Supercup season finale. Edwards seemed a lock to take the Porsche Supercup championship but his death opened the door for either Thiim or Michael Ammermüller. While there were calls to make the season finale weekend at Yas Marina a non-points event and posthumously hand Edwards the title, the weekend continued as scheduled. Thiim went out as a race car driver, swept the weekend and took home the championship.
Thiim was in a no-win situation. There was no exuberant celebration but he did earn that championship. He won three races and scored five podiums. If there was any driver that deserved to win that title more than Edwards, it was Thiim. He would round out his 2013 season picking up a win in the WEC season finale in Bahrain, book-ending the season for the all-Danish Aston Martin squad after Simonsen, Nygaard and Poulsen took victory in the season opener at Silverstone.
Thiim's 2013 season was full of the successes any young driver dreams of. Motorsports can hand you opportunities through the misfortune of others. It has always happened in motorsports and it will continue to happen as long drivers show up and race. But we shouldn't curse Thiim for winning the Porsche Supercup title. He won the title honoring Edwards and drove the Aston Martin honoring Allan Simonsen. Despite the dark reality, Thiim raced with best intentions to carry on the legacy of his fellow racers and friends in Edwards and Simonsen.
Nicki Thiim is the model driver for what he does on and off the track. He has a bright future ahead of him and will carry on the memory of Sean Edwards and Allan Simonsen as well.
We can't change reality. Nicki Thiim had a incredible year in sports cars and did so carrying on the memory of two talented drivers. Thiim entered 2013 as an up and coming driver from Denmark. At 24, Thiim was already on the cusp of taking that next step in motorsports. He won a class in the 2009 24 Hours Nürburgring and finished third in the 2012 Porsche Supercup behind René Rast who took his third consecutive title and his teammate Kévin Estre.
Estre and Thiim teamed up again for the 2013 championship. In the opening round Thiim finished second to Sean Edwards at Barcelona. Edwards was coming off a second consecutive win in the 24 Hours of Dubai and had been slowly been working his up the ranks in Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and Supercup. After the opening weekend of the 2013 Porsche Supercup weekend, Thiim and Edwards went on to win the 24 Hours Nürburgring teamed with legendary German driver Bernd Schneider and Jeroen Bleekemolen, giving Mercedes-Benz their first ever victory in the German endurance classic.
After their victory at the Nürburgring, Edwards and Thiim would win the next two rounds of the Porsche Supercup season at Monaco and Silverstone. Prior to Silverstone however, the most sobering event that can happen in motorsports occurred and opened a door for Thiim's future. Allan Simonsen's death in the 24 Hours of Le Mans left a door open in a factory Aston Martin in the World Endurance Championship. Simonsen had been the lead driver to Aston Martin's young driver team and his vacancy was only fittingly filled by a fellow Dane: Nicki Thiim.
In the first WEC race after Simonsen's death, the all-Danish team of Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Thiim were having a great run in class at Interlagos until a mechanical failure ended their day early. Thiim would go on to win the following weekend in Porsche Supercup at Monza and narrow the gap between him and Edwards to eighteen points entering the season finale race weekend at Yas Marina. Thiim would continue his success in WEC with a second in class at Austin to his Aston Martin teammates Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall.
Unfortunately motorsports threw another sobering blow. Sean Edwards was killed in a training accident at Queensland Raceway in Australia weeks prior to the Porsche Supercup season finale. Edwards seemed a lock to take the Porsche Supercup championship but his death opened the door for either Thiim or Michael Ammermüller. While there were calls to make the season finale weekend at Yas Marina a non-points event and posthumously hand Edwards the title, the weekend continued as scheduled. Thiim went out as a race car driver, swept the weekend and took home the championship.
Thiim was in a no-win situation. There was no exuberant celebration but he did earn that championship. He won three races and scored five podiums. If there was any driver that deserved to win that title more than Edwards, it was Thiim. He would round out his 2013 season picking up a win in the WEC season finale in Bahrain, book-ending the season for the all-Danish Aston Martin squad after Simonsen, Nygaard and Poulsen took victory in the season opener at Silverstone.
Thiim's 2013 season was full of the successes any young driver dreams of. Motorsports can hand you opportunities through the misfortune of others. It has always happened in motorsports and it will continue to happen as long drivers show up and race. But we shouldn't curse Thiim for winning the Porsche Supercup title. He won the title honoring Edwards and drove the Aston Martin honoring Allan Simonsen. Despite the dark reality, Thiim raced with best intentions to carry on the legacy of his fellow racers and friends in Edwards and Simonsen.
Nicki Thiim is the model driver for what he does on and off the track. He has a bright future ahead of him and will carry on the memory of Sean Edwards and Allan Simonsen as well.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Which Thanksgiving Dish Is Each IndyCar Driver?
Just over a month ago I matched IndyCar drivers to Halloween candy. Today, despite being a few days late, I am matching IndyCar drivers to Thanksgiving dishes. I just thought it would be a fun way to mix the holiday season with IndyCar during their offseason.
Once again, some pairings make more sense than others. This is just for fun. Don't take it too seriously.
Let's start with the main dish:
Turkey: Dario Franchitti
Normally calling a person a turkey is a negative comment but not in this case. The turkey is what everyone is looking forward to the Wednesday night before. You don't care how long you have to wait for it, you're still going to want it. Franchitti was the same way as a driver and will still be that beloved in retirement. People will want to see him and will wait in line no matter how long for his autograph.
Stuffing: Simon Pagenaud
I love stuffing. If it was the only dish for Thanksgiving dinner, I would have no problems. It is addictive. Pagenaud is the type of driver where if he was your only choose, you'd take him. And that isn't just for IndyCar. He can drive the wheels off a sports car and could probably make other forms of motorsport look easy as well.
Mashed Potatoes: Tony Kanaan
The hearty part of the meal. Like mashed potatoes, Kanaan compliments everything around him. He makes everyone around him better and perform to their maximum potential. He is never disappointing.
Gravy: Justin Wilson
He makes everything better. Just like gravy, Wilson can take something and do it a 180 in the right direction. Doesn't matter what team he is on, he finds a way to get speed out of the car and goes to the front.
Ham: Ryan Hunter-Reay
A substitue to turkey is ham. It is as enjoyable as turkey but when Thanksgiving rolls around it is the second meal. However, there is no passing it up when offered. Hunter-Reay is a great driver. He can get job done anywhere and has proven that with a championship to his name.
Duck: Graham Rahal
Duck is what my father always recommends for Thanksgiving but always gets shot down (mind the pun) and here is why: It is no way any better than turkey. Stop thinking you are going to make the holiday classier with duck. You won't. The same with Rahal. He seems great but is not head-and-shoulders above anyone else.
Turducken: Scott Dixon
I have never had a turducken but it sounds fantastic. It sounds complicated but I don't care. It has it all. Dixon is the same in the sense he has it all. He can race at the front anywhere; oval, road course, street circuit, doesn't matter. He can find the speed to put a car on the pole but can also take a dog of a car and find a way to finish in the top five.
Cranberry Sauce: Simona de Silvestro
I really like cranberry sauce, especially the type out of the can. It is cranberry jello for the most part. There isn't much to it but it is really good. de Silvestro is similar. She hasn't had any flare but is a competent driver who can have good results. She can bring a car home in piece. What else more is there to ask for?
Biscuits: Will Power
Who doesn't like a nice, warm, straight-out-of-the-oven biscuit on the side of their plate? All of a sudden you've have a half dozen and are reaching back to find they are all gone. Will Power racks up wins. One after the other. He has won back-to-back races on five occasions including winning three in a row in 2012. He won three of the final five races in 2013 and don't be surprised if he wins three of the first four in 2014.
Sweet Potatoes: Charlie Kimball
They are really good and healthy for you but aren't your first choose when in line for your meal. You will happily take them but ultimately Thanksgiving is about turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing. Kimball is a driver you'd be alright with on your team but you know what drivers are out their that you would die to have driving for you.
Corn: Mike Conway
Corn is a wonderful side to have but it is only a side. Conway is great on road and street courses but he chooses not to run ovals and that is fine. Pair him with say Ed Carpenter, and a team will be satisfied.
Cornbread: Oriol Servià
In case your family has a little different menu, cornbread is fairly popular alternatives with some families. It has flavor. Oriol Serivà is a character but in a good way. He usually never has a ride but when he does, he is going to the front. If only he was given a better opportunity full-time, maybe he would not be a free agent as often.
Brussel Sprout: Takuma Sato
My mother always makes them but they are rarely touched. Sato is always fast but rarely gets the results.
Cauliflower: EJ Viso
Another vegetable that is made but shelved on Thanksgiving next to the Brussels sprouts. It isn't good enough to fit on the plate with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuit and cranberry sauce. Viso is always there but no one is selecting Viso unless they are dying for a driver (and a paycheck).
On to dessert.
Pumpkin Pie: Josef Newgarden
Always pleasing. You would take the whole pie for yourself. Newgarden is a driver that would please any car owner. Not to forget mentioning how he is fan favorite. All he needs is the metaphorical whipped cream and he is good as gold.
Apple Pie: James Hinchcliffe
Another favorite. Who doesn't love apple pie? It is a sure fire dessert. Hinchcliffe had a very successful 2013 and is popular with everyone who follows IndyCar. He is respected by many and is good enough for any car owner on the grid.
Chocolate Cream Pie: Helio Castroneves
In case pumpkin pie and apple pie isn't good enough for you, a little chocolate cream pie may fancy your sweet tooth. Helio Castroneves is like chocolate, you rarely pass it up but it is always a safe bet.
Pecan Pie: Ed Carpenter
An American classic that is a seasonal dessert. Pecan pie is to Thanksgiving what Ed Carpenter is to ovals. But when they come around, you remember how good they are.
Cannoli: Marco Andretti
Cannoli aren't a traditional Thanksgiving dessert but they are frequently featured on my dessert table. They are fantastic. One isn't enough and two isn't enough either. Only common sense Andretti is paired with an Italian dessert. Would I say he is fantastic? He shows his flashes of brilliance and if he focuses and improves as much as he did last offseason this offseason, he will be a championship contender.
Éclairs: Sébastien Bourdais
Another non-traditional Thanksgiving dessert that are frequently featured on my dessert table. Another satisfying dessert but with the full table of pies can easily be forgotten. Bourdais is the same. He is a talented driver, has four championships but with everything else for the taking, you can forget Bourdais and all he has accomplished rather quickly.
I realize I am late. It is now December but I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy this and I wish everyone a wonderful start to the holiday season.
Once again, some pairings make more sense than others. This is just for fun. Don't take it too seriously.
Let's start with the main dish:
Turkey: Dario Franchitti
Normally calling a person a turkey is a negative comment but not in this case. The turkey is what everyone is looking forward to the Wednesday night before. You don't care how long you have to wait for it, you're still going to want it. Franchitti was the same way as a driver and will still be that beloved in retirement. People will want to see him and will wait in line no matter how long for his autograph.
Stuffing: Simon Pagenaud
I love stuffing. If it was the only dish for Thanksgiving dinner, I would have no problems. It is addictive. Pagenaud is the type of driver where if he was your only choose, you'd take him. And that isn't just for IndyCar. He can drive the wheels off a sports car and could probably make other forms of motorsport look easy as well.
Mashed Potatoes: Tony Kanaan
The hearty part of the meal. Like mashed potatoes, Kanaan compliments everything around him. He makes everyone around him better and perform to their maximum potential. He is never disappointing.
Gravy: Justin Wilson
He makes everything better. Just like gravy, Wilson can take something and do it a 180 in the right direction. Doesn't matter what team he is on, he finds a way to get speed out of the car and goes to the front.
Ham: Ryan Hunter-Reay
A substitue to turkey is ham. It is as enjoyable as turkey but when Thanksgiving rolls around it is the second meal. However, there is no passing it up when offered. Hunter-Reay is a great driver. He can get job done anywhere and has proven that with a championship to his name.
Duck: Graham Rahal
Duck is what my father always recommends for Thanksgiving but always gets shot down (mind the pun) and here is why: It is no way any better than turkey. Stop thinking you are going to make the holiday classier with duck. You won't. The same with Rahal. He seems great but is not head-and-shoulders above anyone else.
Turducken: Scott Dixon
I have never had a turducken but it sounds fantastic. It sounds complicated but I don't care. It has it all. Dixon is the same in the sense he has it all. He can race at the front anywhere; oval, road course, street circuit, doesn't matter. He can find the speed to put a car on the pole but can also take a dog of a car and find a way to finish in the top five.
Cranberry Sauce: Simona de Silvestro
I really like cranberry sauce, especially the type out of the can. It is cranberry jello for the most part. There isn't much to it but it is really good. de Silvestro is similar. She hasn't had any flare but is a competent driver who can have good results. She can bring a car home in piece. What else more is there to ask for?
Biscuits: Will Power
Who doesn't like a nice, warm, straight-out-of-the-oven biscuit on the side of their plate? All of a sudden you've have a half dozen and are reaching back to find they are all gone. Will Power racks up wins. One after the other. He has won back-to-back races on five occasions including winning three in a row in 2012. He won three of the final five races in 2013 and don't be surprised if he wins three of the first four in 2014.
Sweet Potatoes: Charlie Kimball
They are really good and healthy for you but aren't your first choose when in line for your meal. You will happily take them but ultimately Thanksgiving is about turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing. Kimball is a driver you'd be alright with on your team but you know what drivers are out their that you would die to have driving for you.
Corn: Mike Conway
Corn is a wonderful side to have but it is only a side. Conway is great on road and street courses but he chooses not to run ovals and that is fine. Pair him with say Ed Carpenter, and a team will be satisfied.
Cornbread: Oriol Servià
In case your family has a little different menu, cornbread is fairly popular alternatives with some families. It has flavor. Oriol Serivà is a character but in a good way. He usually never has a ride but when he does, he is going to the front. If only he was given a better opportunity full-time, maybe he would not be a free agent as often.
Brussel Sprout: Takuma Sato
My mother always makes them but they are rarely touched. Sato is always fast but rarely gets the results.
Cauliflower: EJ Viso
Another vegetable that is made but shelved on Thanksgiving next to the Brussels sprouts. It isn't good enough to fit on the plate with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuit and cranberry sauce. Viso is always there but no one is selecting Viso unless they are dying for a driver (and a paycheck).
On to dessert.
Pumpkin Pie: Josef Newgarden
Always pleasing. You would take the whole pie for yourself. Newgarden is a driver that would please any car owner. Not to forget mentioning how he is fan favorite. All he needs is the metaphorical whipped cream and he is good as gold.
Apple Pie: James Hinchcliffe
Another favorite. Who doesn't love apple pie? It is a sure fire dessert. Hinchcliffe had a very successful 2013 and is popular with everyone who follows IndyCar. He is respected by many and is good enough for any car owner on the grid.
Chocolate Cream Pie: Helio Castroneves
In case pumpkin pie and apple pie isn't good enough for you, a little chocolate cream pie may fancy your sweet tooth. Helio Castroneves is like chocolate, you rarely pass it up but it is always a safe bet.
Pecan Pie: Ed Carpenter
An American classic that is a seasonal dessert. Pecan pie is to Thanksgiving what Ed Carpenter is to ovals. But when they come around, you remember how good they are.
Cannoli: Marco Andretti
Cannoli aren't a traditional Thanksgiving dessert but they are frequently featured on my dessert table. They are fantastic. One isn't enough and two isn't enough either. Only common sense Andretti is paired with an Italian dessert. Would I say he is fantastic? He shows his flashes of brilliance and if he focuses and improves as much as he did last offseason this offseason, he will be a championship contender.
Éclairs: Sébastien Bourdais
Another non-traditional Thanksgiving dessert that are frequently featured on my dessert table. Another satisfying dessert but with the full table of pies can easily be forgotten. Bourdais is the same. He is a talented driver, has four championships but with everything else for the taking, you can forget Bourdais and all he has accomplished rather quickly.
I realize I am late. It is now December but I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy this and I wish everyone a wonderful start to the holiday season.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Toyota Wins At Bahrain
The #8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin won the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship season finale at the Bahrain International Circuit, the #8's first win of the season. After their teammate #7 Toyota and LMP1 championship winning #2 Audi of Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Loïc Duval had mechanical issues, it was smooth sailing for the #8, winning by over a minute ahead of the #1 Audi of André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer.
The #26 G-Drive Racing Oreca-Nissan of Mike Conway, John Martin and Romain Rusinov won the LMP2 class for the fourth time in 2013 and finished third overall at Bahrain. The #24 OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan of Oliver Pla, Alex Brundle and David Heinemeier Hansson finished second in the class and second in the LMP2 championship to their teammates Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo González who finished fourth in class at Bahrain. The #41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan of Björn Wirdheim, Wolfgang Reip and Jon Lancester finished third in class.
By winning the race Gianmaria Bruni won the World Cup For GT Drivers by ten points over his Ferrari teammate Giancarlo Fisichella and gave Ferrari the GT Manufactures' title over Aston Martin. Bruni came from behind to beat the Aston Martin pair of Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner for the title after their Vantage V8 retired. Bruni won the race pair with Finn Toni Vilander. The Porsche of Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet finished second in class with Fisichella and Kamui Kobayashi rounding out the GTE Pro podium.
In GTE Am, the All-Danish Aston Martin of Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Nicki Thiim won the final race of what has been a roller coaster season for the team. The team won the first race of the season at Silverstone with Allan Simonsen being the third Dane along side Nygaard and Poulsen. Simonsen would succumb to injuries suffered in an early accident during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team would recover and win at the rain-shortened Fuji event with Bruno Senna as third driver. This is Nicki Thiim's first win in WEC and ends what has been a very successful season for the Dane as he won the 2013 Porsche Supercup Championships.
The Ferrari 458 Italia of the American 8 Star Motorsports finished second in class with Rui Águas, Enzo Potolicchio and Davide Rigon. By finishing second, 8 Star Motorsports wins the GTE Am Team championship over Aston Martin. It is the second consecutive season with an American team taking a title. Starworks Motorsport won the LMP2 championship in the 2012 season. The #61 Ferrari of François Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and Matt Griffin finished third.
Despite winning the team title, the 8 Star Motorsport drivers fell one point short of the GTE Am drivers championships. The Aston Martin pair of Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall won the title by one point over the Venezuelan Potolicchio and Portuguese Águas. They finished fifth at Bahrain.
The 2013 season ends as does the month of November. One month to go in this calendar year with the first event of the 2014 WEC season taking place April 20, Easter Sunday at Silverstone.
The #26 G-Drive Racing Oreca-Nissan of Mike Conway, John Martin and Romain Rusinov won the LMP2 class for the fourth time in 2013 and finished third overall at Bahrain. The #24 OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan of Oliver Pla, Alex Brundle and David Heinemeier Hansson finished second in the class and second in the LMP2 championship to their teammates Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo González who finished fourth in class at Bahrain. The #41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan of Björn Wirdheim, Wolfgang Reip and Jon Lancester finished third in class.
By winning the race Gianmaria Bruni won the World Cup For GT Drivers by ten points over his Ferrari teammate Giancarlo Fisichella and gave Ferrari the GT Manufactures' title over Aston Martin. Bruni came from behind to beat the Aston Martin pair of Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner for the title after their Vantage V8 retired. Bruni won the race pair with Finn Toni Vilander. The Porsche of Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet finished second in class with Fisichella and Kamui Kobayashi rounding out the GTE Pro podium.
In GTE Am, the All-Danish Aston Martin of Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Nicki Thiim won the final race of what has been a roller coaster season for the team. The team won the first race of the season at Silverstone with Allan Simonsen being the third Dane along side Nygaard and Poulsen. Simonsen would succumb to injuries suffered in an early accident during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team would recover and win at the rain-shortened Fuji event with Bruno Senna as third driver. This is Nicki Thiim's first win in WEC and ends what has been a very successful season for the Dane as he won the 2013 Porsche Supercup Championships.
The Ferrari 458 Italia of the American 8 Star Motorsports finished second in class with Rui Águas, Enzo Potolicchio and Davide Rigon. By finishing second, 8 Star Motorsports wins the GTE Am Team championship over Aston Martin. It is the second consecutive season with an American team taking a title. Starworks Motorsport won the LMP2 championship in the 2012 season. The #61 Ferrari of François Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and Matt Griffin finished third.
Despite winning the team title, the 8 Star Motorsport drivers fell one point short of the GTE Am drivers championships. The Aston Martin pair of Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall won the title by one point over the Venezuelan Potolicchio and Portuguese Águas. They finished fifth at Bahrain.
The 2013 season ends as does the month of November. One month to go in this calendar year with the first event of the 2014 WEC season taking place April 20, Easter Sunday at Silverstone.
What American Racing Fans Missed Over Thanksgiving
You were hopefully away from your laptop and tablet and the wonderful worlds of the internet and Twitter most of Thanksgiving and spending time with family and friends. Some have probably been away from the internet longer than other depending on travel schedules. In case you have, here is a run down of what you missed.
A lot of Formula One news but we will start with FIA World Endurance Championship and USAC.
In Bahrain, the #7 Toyota TS030 Hybrid of Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima won pole position for the second consecutive WEC event and Toyota's third of the season. In doing so they picked up an extra championship point. The pole sitters of the other three classes were the #49 PeCom Racing Oreca-Nissan of Luíz Pérez Companc, Pierre Kaffer and Nicolas Minassian in LMP2; Porsche drivers Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz won pole in GTE Pro and the #95 Astson Martin all-Danish team of Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Nicki Thiim took pole in GTE Am.
As of two hours and fifteen minutes into the WEC season finale, the #8 Toyota of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin lead the #1 and #2 Audis respectively. The #7 Toyota is 11 laps down, 17th overall.
In LMP2, the #49 PeCom Racing entry leads the the #24 OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan and #26 G-Drive Racing Oreca-Nissan. The LMP2 point leaders, the #35 OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan of Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo González is sixth in class, ninth overall.
In GTE Pro, the #51 Ferrari of Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander lead class over GT championship leaders, Aston Martin drivers Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner. Porsche drivers Patrick Pilet and Jörg Bergmeister are third. The pole sitters of Lieb and Lietz are sixth in class are contact early in the race with one of the LMP2 Lotus entries.
In GTE Am, the #95 Aston Martin leads over the American entry, #81 8 Star Motorsports Ferrari of Enzo Potolicchio, Rui Águas and Davide Rigon. The #76 Porsche of Jean-Karl Vernay, Raymond Narac and Markus Palttala are third and, if the results hold, would win the GTE Am drivers championship by a point over the 8 Star drivers Potolicchio and Águas and Aston Martin drivers Jaime Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall who sit seventh in class.
From Bahrain to California and the dirt of Perris Auto Speedway where Dave Darland won the 47th Turkey Night Grand Prix. It is Darland's second win of the Thanksgiving classic and in doing so Darland became the third driver to win the race on both pavement and dirt joining Mel Kenyon and Stan Fox as the only drivers to accomplish such a feat. Brad Sweet finished second with Caleb Armstrong rounding out the podium.
In the final standings for the 2013 USAC National Midget Dirt Championship, rookie Christopher Bell defeated Bryan Clauson by 117 points with Darren Hagen in third. Tracy Hines and Rico Abreu rounded out the top five.
Now on to Formula One. It was reported during the FIA WEC coverage of the Bahrain race that 70 light poles have been installed at the Bahrain International Circuit and that this weekend's event will be used as preparation for the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix being a night race, the third such race on the Formula One schedule.
The FIA has suggested creating a trophy for the driver who wins the most pole positions during a season. It has also been suggested a championship point be award toward the fastest qualifier. An award is already given to a driver who sets the most fastest laps during a season and is sponsored by DHL. Sebastian Vettel won the DHL Fastest Lap Award for the second consecutive season and third time in his Formula One career after having seven fastest laps in 2013. Kimi Räikkönen won the first two editions of the award in 2007 and 2008. Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber have each won the award previously.
A proposal has been made to introduce two mandatory pit stops to each Formula One race. Starting in 2014, each team would not be allowed to use the primary tire for more than fifty percent of a race while a team could not use the option for more than thirty percent of the race. The teams will vote on whether or not to accept the rule next month.
There have been talks of teams allowing drivers to start using permanent numbers in 2014. Three questions about the proposal are how will numbers be allocated? Will drivers been allowed to choose the numbers? Should the number be specified on a drivers' super license? The drivers would only change their number if they were to win the world championship. There has been a request for larger numbers and drivers names to be displayed on the cars.
Permanent numbers are not new to Formula One except they were previously tied to teams and not drivers. For example, when not using the numbers 1 and 2, Ferrari used the numbers 27 and 28 from 1981-1995 and prior to that used 11 and 12. Tyrell used 3 and 4. Lotus used 5 and 6 before going to 11 and 12 in 1980. McLaren used 7 and 8.
Pastor Maldonado will be joining Romain Grosjean at Lotus in 2014. Maldonado scored one point in 2013 when he finished tenth in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Unofficially there remains five open seats for the 2014 season. Two at Force India though Adrian Sutil and Nico Hülkenberg were reportedly close to deals with the team, one at Caterham, one at Marussia and one at Sauber. Sauber has Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin signed for 2014 but he has yet to receive an FIA Super License. If he were not to be awarded one than both seats at Sauber would be open.
A lot of Formula One news but we will start with FIA World Endurance Championship and USAC.
In Bahrain, the #7 Toyota TS030 Hybrid of Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima won pole position for the second consecutive WEC event and Toyota's third of the season. In doing so they picked up an extra championship point. The pole sitters of the other three classes were the #49 PeCom Racing Oreca-Nissan of Luíz Pérez Companc, Pierre Kaffer and Nicolas Minassian in LMP2; Porsche drivers Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz won pole in GTE Pro and the #95 Astson Martin all-Danish team of Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen and Nicki Thiim took pole in GTE Am.
As of two hours and fifteen minutes into the WEC season finale, the #8 Toyota of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin lead the #1 and #2 Audis respectively. The #7 Toyota is 11 laps down, 17th overall.
In LMP2, the #49 PeCom Racing entry leads the the #24 OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan and #26 G-Drive Racing Oreca-Nissan. The LMP2 point leaders, the #35 OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan of Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo González is sixth in class, ninth overall.
In GTE Pro, the #51 Ferrari of Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander lead class over GT championship leaders, Aston Martin drivers Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner. Porsche drivers Patrick Pilet and Jörg Bergmeister are third. The pole sitters of Lieb and Lietz are sixth in class are contact early in the race with one of the LMP2 Lotus entries.
In GTE Am, the #95 Aston Martin leads over the American entry, #81 8 Star Motorsports Ferrari of Enzo Potolicchio, Rui Águas and Davide Rigon. The #76 Porsche of Jean-Karl Vernay, Raymond Narac and Markus Palttala are third and, if the results hold, would win the GTE Am drivers championship by a point over the 8 Star drivers Potolicchio and Águas and Aston Martin drivers Jaime Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall who sit seventh in class.
From Bahrain to California and the dirt of Perris Auto Speedway where Dave Darland won the 47th Turkey Night Grand Prix. It is Darland's second win of the Thanksgiving classic and in doing so Darland became the third driver to win the race on both pavement and dirt joining Mel Kenyon and Stan Fox as the only drivers to accomplish such a feat. Brad Sweet finished second with Caleb Armstrong rounding out the podium.
In the final standings for the 2013 USAC National Midget Dirt Championship, rookie Christopher Bell defeated Bryan Clauson by 117 points with Darren Hagen in third. Tracy Hines and Rico Abreu rounded out the top five.
Now on to Formula One. It was reported during the FIA WEC coverage of the Bahrain race that 70 light poles have been installed at the Bahrain International Circuit and that this weekend's event will be used as preparation for the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix being a night race, the third such race on the Formula One schedule.
The FIA has suggested creating a trophy for the driver who wins the most pole positions during a season. It has also been suggested a championship point be award toward the fastest qualifier. An award is already given to a driver who sets the most fastest laps during a season and is sponsored by DHL. Sebastian Vettel won the DHL Fastest Lap Award for the second consecutive season and third time in his Formula One career after having seven fastest laps in 2013. Kimi Räikkönen won the first two editions of the award in 2007 and 2008. Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber have each won the award previously.
A proposal has been made to introduce two mandatory pit stops to each Formula One race. Starting in 2014, each team would not be allowed to use the primary tire for more than fifty percent of a race while a team could not use the option for more than thirty percent of the race. The teams will vote on whether or not to accept the rule next month.
There have been talks of teams allowing drivers to start using permanent numbers in 2014. Three questions about the proposal are how will numbers be allocated? Will drivers been allowed to choose the numbers? Should the number be specified on a drivers' super license? The drivers would only change their number if they were to win the world championship. There has been a request for larger numbers and drivers names to be displayed on the cars.
Permanent numbers are not new to Formula One except they were previously tied to teams and not drivers. For example, when not using the numbers 1 and 2, Ferrari used the numbers 27 and 28 from 1981-1995 and prior to that used 11 and 12. Tyrell used 3 and 4. Lotus used 5 and 6 before going to 11 and 12 in 1980. McLaren used 7 and 8.
Pastor Maldonado will be joining Romain Grosjean at Lotus in 2014. Maldonado scored one point in 2013 when he finished tenth in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Unofficially there remains five open seats for the 2014 season. Two at Force India though Adrian Sutil and Nico Hülkenberg were reportedly close to deals with the team, one at Caterham, one at Marussia and one at Sauber. Sauber has Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin signed for 2014 but he has yet to receive an FIA Super License. If he were not to be awarded one than both seats at Sauber would be open.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Being Thankful
With tomorrow being Thanksgiving in the United States I thought I'd reflect on what I am thankful in racing.
I am thankful for all the men and women who risk life and limb going out to race, whether it be two wheels or four, Sunday afternoon or Friday night. The mechanics and crews who spend countless hours working on the car, getting it from track to track and never receiving enough praise for what they do.
I am thankful for the manufactures and sponsors who decide to spent their money on this sport even though it is expensive to support series, drivers, teams, etc.
I am thankful for all the television partners who show races, qualifying and practice and do there best to show all sessions live.
I am thankful for NBC's Formula One broadcast team. They constantly sent tweets out letting fans know when and where practice, qualifying and the races will be shown and sadly get slaughtered on Twitter when a handful of fans aren't responsible in taking note when and where practice, qualifying and races are.
I am thankful that Dario Franchitti is choosing health over racing. I'd rather see him healthy for the next thirty years than injuries again in three.
I am thankful Justin Wilson wasn't more seriously hurt at Fontana and should be able to return for the start of 2014. At the same time I am thankful that the steps are being taken to find out why Wilson got hurt and what can be done to prevent that injury from happening in the future.
I am thankful NASCAR and Formula One racing go so late into a calendar year and I am thankful their is a World Endurance Championship race this weekend as well.
If you really think about it, racing is all year round. There are very few down times. Sure the major series take longer breaks but you have WEC this weekend, V8 Supercars the weekend after that and then the Race of Champions. After a few weeks off AMA Supercross season gets under way and goes from January to May. The Dakar Rally lasts most of January and once that ends the 24 Hours of Daytona is on our doorsteps with the Daytona 500 close behind. There is plenty of racing going on if you are to open your horizon.
I am thankful MotoGP comes to the United States twice even though it stinks Laguna Seca is off the schedule. Once again, some of the best racing you will see anywhere. You could race MotoGP in your basement and they would still put on a great show.
I am thankful manufactures such as Audi, Toyota and Nissan are developing new technologies in racing. From diesel hybrids to hybrid electric, the future of racing is bright and unknown but intriguing.
I am thankful for drivers making time for autographs, teams allowing fans to look over their shoulders an hour before a race to see what is going on and get as close to physically touching the car without laying a finger on it.
I am thankful sports car racing is unified in the United States. It may take a few years to perfect the series but all involved are doing their best to make the Tudor United SportsCar Championship work.
I am thankful to all those who read this blog and make my time and effort worth something. To all those on Twitter for engaging in racing discussions and sharing the love of the sport.
Despite the negativity we can get caught up in, there is plenty to be thankful for. There is plenty of good going on. We just have to open our eye and celebrate it from time to time. We just have to breathe. Sure, somethings won't go the way we'd like to see them but for the most part they do work for the better. There will be scheduling conflicts but those aren't always avoidable. There will be boring races but not everyone can be a nail-bitter. For the most part there will be more good races than boring ones. Sponsors and manufactures come and go but it's a cycle. Some cycles are longer than others but you just have to remain positive.
Series officials may aggravate some but it isn't an easy job. I am sure if we were in their position, we'd be ridiculed just as hard by the fans even though we are trying our best to give what everyone wants.
Let's be thankful for what we have. Instead of being too caught up in what is wrong, reflect on what is good and there is plenty of good out there.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
WEC Finale In Bahrain
While many series have started their winter breaks, the FIA World Endurance Championship will be closing out their season this Saturday at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Audi has already clinched the Manufactures' Championship over Toyota and the trio of Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Loïc Duval have already clinched the Drivers' Championship. Now McNish, Kristensen and Duval look to wrap most wins in the season by getting their fourth in Bahrain. They are tied with their Audi teammates André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer with three wins apiece this season.
Toyota took the victory at the rain-shortened round at their home track Fuji and will enter two cars for the third consecutive event. The part-time entry of Alexander Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre won at Fuji and finished second at Shanghai after winning pole position. Kazuki Nakajima will rejoin Wurz and Lapierre in the #7 TS030 Hybrid after missing the Shanghai round due to Super Formula commitments. In the last two rounds the full-time #8 Toyota of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin have finished fifteenth and retired at Shanghai.
The LMP2 title appears to be in the hands of OAK Racing the only question is which team takes home the title? The #35 of Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo González lead their teammates the #24 of Alex Brundle, David Heinemeier Hansson and Oliver Pla by fifteen points. The #35 has won two rounds this season including Le Mans while the #24 has finished runner-up in class on four occasions. The #26 G-Drive Racing entry of Mike Conway, John Martin are third in points and still mathematically eligible for the title after having won three of the last four rounds. The #26 is 22.5 points back of the #35 OAK Racing entry. The #26 originally finished third in the 24 Hours of Le Mans but were disqualified after having an illegal sized fuel tank. Had their third place finish stood, the #26 would be leading by 7.5 points.
In GT, Aston Martin drivers Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner has won the last two rounds and leads the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella and Gianmaria Bruni by 5.5 points however the Italian pair will be split for the season finale. Fisichella will be paired with Kamui Kobayashi in the #71 Ferrari 458 Italia while Bruni will be joined by Toni Vilander in the #51. Porsche drivers of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz trail the pairing of Mücke and Turner by 15.5 points and their only podium this season was their victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the GT Manufactures' Championship Aston Martin leads Ferrari by 17.5 points.
In GTE-Am, the Aston Martin pair of Jaime Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall lead by five points over Le Mans class winners, IMSA Performance Porshce of Jean-Karl Vernay and Raymond Narac. American 8 Star Motorsports Ferrari drivers Rui Águas and Enzo Potolicchio trail by nine points and are coming off class victory at Shanghai.
Practice for the final round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship begins Thursday at 7:15 a.m. ET with second practice at 11:30 a.m. ET. Final practice will take place Friday at 2:25 a.m. ET with qualifying following at 7:45 a.m. ET. The final race of the 2013 season will take place at 7:00 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Audi has already clinched the Manufactures' Championship over Toyota and the trio of Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Loïc Duval have already clinched the Drivers' Championship. Now McNish, Kristensen and Duval look to wrap most wins in the season by getting their fourth in Bahrain. They are tied with their Audi teammates André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler and Benoît Tréluyer with three wins apiece this season.
Toyota took the victory at the rain-shortened round at their home track Fuji and will enter two cars for the third consecutive event. The part-time entry of Alexander Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre won at Fuji and finished second at Shanghai after winning pole position. Kazuki Nakajima will rejoin Wurz and Lapierre in the #7 TS030 Hybrid after missing the Shanghai round due to Super Formula commitments. In the last two rounds the full-time #8 Toyota of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin have finished fifteenth and retired at Shanghai.
The LMP2 title appears to be in the hands of OAK Racing the only question is which team takes home the title? The #35 of Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo González lead their teammates the #24 of Alex Brundle, David Heinemeier Hansson and Oliver Pla by fifteen points. The #35 has won two rounds this season including Le Mans while the #24 has finished runner-up in class on four occasions. The #26 G-Drive Racing entry of Mike Conway, John Martin are third in points and still mathematically eligible for the title after having won three of the last four rounds. The #26 is 22.5 points back of the #35 OAK Racing entry. The #26 originally finished third in the 24 Hours of Le Mans but were disqualified after having an illegal sized fuel tank. Had their third place finish stood, the #26 would be leading by 7.5 points.
In GT, Aston Martin drivers Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner has won the last two rounds and leads the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella and Gianmaria Bruni by 5.5 points however the Italian pair will be split for the season finale. Fisichella will be paired with Kamui Kobayashi in the #71 Ferrari 458 Italia while Bruni will be joined by Toni Vilander in the #51. Porsche drivers of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz trail the pairing of Mücke and Turner by 15.5 points and their only podium this season was their victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the GT Manufactures' Championship Aston Martin leads Ferrari by 17.5 points.
In GTE-Am, the Aston Martin pair of Jaime Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall lead by five points over Le Mans class winners, IMSA Performance Porshce of Jean-Karl Vernay and Raymond Narac. American 8 Star Motorsports Ferrari drivers Rui Águas and Enzo Potolicchio trail by nine points and are coming off class victory at Shanghai.
Practice for the final round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship begins Thursday at 7:15 a.m. ET with second practice at 11:30 a.m. ET. Final practice will take place Friday at 2:25 a.m. ET with qualifying following at 7:45 a.m. ET. The final race of the 2013 season will take place at 7:00 a.m. ET on Saturday.
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