IndyCar can't afford to lose it's most popular driver. But they can't afford to keep him either.
Despite winning the Indianapolis 500 this year, a championship nine years ago, finishing in the top ten in points eleven of the past twelve seasons and being the most popular and one of the most respected driver on the IndyCar grid, Tony Kanaan's struggles to find funding for a ride in 2014 might push him to NASCAR. Racer Magazine's Robin Miller reported earlier today Kanaan has met with Joe Gibbs Racing and has been offered a Nationwide Series ride for the 2014 season. A later report from Lee Spencer of Fox Sports said Kanaan only met with the team and no offer has been made.
Before anyone crucifies him, Kanaan cannot and is not making money in IndyCar. Let me put it to you this way, you love your job. You've been their for years. You've busted your tail, been given praise after praise, have never done a thing wrong, no one has anything negative to say about you, you been through thick and thin with the company but despite the time, praise and effort you have given, you are not getting a raise, not even of the smallest amount, you are being looked over for promotions and you know there is another company or two or three out there who is offering exactly what you want. That is the situation Kanaan is in. He is driving in a series where he has given his all and not being compensated enough for it. And now he is getting offered a paying job.
Regardless of what Kanaan decides to do, IndyCar is to blame for the current state of the series and leading Kanaan to look elsewhere to race. There is not a lot of money for the drivers. How many paying rides are on the grid? Penske's two, Ganassi's two, maybe Kimball gets a little but if Novo Nordisk leaves he probably doesn't get a season of Ganassi paying out of his own pocket to see if a sponsor can be found. The Andretti trio probably get paid, maybe Simon Pagenaud. Tristan Vautier is living off his Indy Lights championship and scraping together the rest. Panther is a paying gig. Graham Rahal probably doesn't bring money but James Jakes sure does.
After that, who else isn't bringing a sponsor? Foyt paid Conor Daly for Indianapolis and I wouldn't be surprised if Takuma Sato is getting paid. Ed Carpenter drives for himself. So I guess he isn't paying for a ride but at the same time he is. Wink Hartman has really help Sarah Fisher and Josef Newgarden out the past year but I wouldn't count that as getting paid for Newgarden.
Bryan Herta Autosport, Dragon, Dale Coyne and KV all have some funding but all appear to need a driver to bring some change to the table, some needing to bring more than others. So I'd say eleven out of twenty-four full-time teams pay their drivers a salary and even then I think that might be optimistically high on my part. It's musically chairs and Kanaan is not in one of the paying seats.
IndyCar has for years found a way time and time again to make the sport undesirable for sponsors and driving away needed revenue. Whether it's going to a cable network that automatically cut their ratings by two-thirds, swapping venues like they're fresh pairs of underwear, having a contract for a race in China and not getting paid up front and then having the deal ripped up with no repercussions to the party bailing out. Having an engine manufacture that never had the money to run in the series and screwed a quarter of the grid, need I go any further?
I understand IndyCar over the pass few years aren't interested in paying to keep drivers on the grid. I get that, but at the same time, maybe they should reconsider.
Or... actually... maybe they shouldn't because they know, regardless of whether Kanaan is on the IndyCar grid or not in 2014, they are still a financial mess and keeping him won't fix their problems. I love Tony Kanaan but let's face it, keeping him isn't going to all of a sudden increase TV ratings ten-fold (which by the way, is probably the amount IndyCar has to increase to become even reasonable for a sponsor to spend money on), keeping Kanaan wouldn't double attendance at every event or bring back Road America, Michigan, Phoenix, Loudon, Surfers Paradise, Richmond and Watkins Glen and add new venues such as Austin and a race in Europe to the schedule. All keeping Kanaan does is keep the small and probably still declining IndyCar fan base happy just a little while longer. He is a band-aid that is slowing the bleeding on a much larger wound.
IndyCar needs to be making moves that draws eyes, sponsors and drivers to the series, while keeping their top crop of talent and product they already have got. And time and time again, the series and those involved have failed to row together and the ship that is IndyCar has been stagnant for YEARS!
IndyCar is not a destination. That's why Kanaan is looking to NASCAR and Sam Hornish and AJ Allmendinger aren't looking to return full-time and why Rubens Barrichello left after one year and it was probably never even close to Mark Webber's mind when he decided Porsche LMP1 over Formula One. IndyCar as a series cannot offer these drivers a way to make a living, therefore, these drivers do not consider the series. IndyCar has to improve this more than anything else if they hope to survive.
And before any NASCAR fans start declaring Kanaan is considering NASCAR because its better racing are full of it. This is all about money. IndyCar can be put in the discussion for producing some of the best racing in the world today. Unfortunately and kind of unbelievingly, all that great racing is not enough to be an option financially for a driver, not even one of the best of the last twenty years.
In a way, I want to see Kanaan go to NASCAR. For me to be fair, if I go tweeting Kurt Busch should run the Indianapolis 500 because he's interested in doing it, has already won the Coca-Cola 600 and saying drivers should actually do the races they say they want to do, then I should say Kanaan should go to NASCAR because he's won an Indianapolis 500, has a IndyCar championship and has interest in NASCAR. Kanaan could go to NASCAR but still have a clause to return to run the Indianapolis 500, though it'd be unpopular with most teams, let alone Joe Gibbs Racing and tough to negotiate. My problem isn't a driver leaving a series for another. It's them leaving and not having any interest in returning. I am ok with Sam Hornish, Jr. racing NASCAR, it's him not interested in returning at all that's bothersome. It's acting like something is in your past once and for all when it doesn't have to be. What happens when Hornish is retired and invited back to the Speedway as a former Indianapolis 500 winner? Does he say no, that's all in my past and not go? I don't think he would and doubt he would but why should that be any different for him as a driver?
Kanaan going to NASCAR would open the door to three legitimate drivers who could attempt the double in 2014. Kurt Busch and AJ Allmendinger are still interested, though both are contractually tied to NASCAR teams for next year. Let's not to forget Danica Patrick. Though she is less likely to do so and Sam Hornish is even less likely than Patrick. And, who knows, Juan Pablo Montoya might return to IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500 in 2014. Might not be a bad race after all.
To wrap this up, IndyCar has to improve the financial situation of it's teams and the series. And Kanaan, do what makes you happy. No one should get on your case for doing that.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
Friday, September 6, 2013
2014 IndyCar Schedule Update #3
As IndyCar ends its first week of this late-summer-into-autumn break, more questions and concerns about the 2014 calendar arise.
Let's start with the possibility of an road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May. Graham Rahal and Ryan Briscoe tested a few different track configurations the other day and by the sound of it, the series is going to test more different configurations in the near future. While not necessarily the most popular race IndyCar could add to the schedule, and IMS road course race is appearing more and more likely to happen, and if it were to happen it would take place Saturday May 10, 2014. It would not be held that Sunday because that is Mother's Day and the feeling is Saturday would draw better than Sunday. I agree but let's just get this out of the way now, NASCAR is racing that same Saturday at Darlington though at night. So yes, it's racing the same day as NASCAR but the series is not necessarily dropping the ball by not racing on a Sunday.
With that said, the question then becomes what will happen to São Paulo, a race that has taken place in late April/early May the past three years? Recent reports out of Brazil say the race will not happen in 2014 citing the events failure to draw many tourists, traffic problems caused by the street circuit and the promoter, television network Rede Bandeirantes deciding to no longer invest in the event and the city ending their contract. However, Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star reported Mark Miles said in a text that all this was, "News to me."
Another interesting rumor to come out about the 2014 IndyCar schedule was made on Radio Le Mans Midweek Motorsport on Wednesday. Host John Hindhaugh said while talking to guest Marshall Pruett that allegedly IndyCar and USCR will be running at Belle Isle Labor Day weekend in 2014 (can be found at the 1:25:30 second mark of the podcast. Hindhaugh reiterated this at 1:43:50 and Pruett said "you can book your travel for that right now.") With IndyCar's plan to end by Labor Day, could Belle Isle be the season finale, knowing what Robin Miller reported three weeks ago that Fontana could move to June? I speculated back in July that Belle Isle could move to August because the current early June date for the race conflicts with the test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the creation of USCR and all belief IndyCar and USCR will run a doubleheader at Belle Isle, a move makes sense for USCR teams, especially the GT Le Mans teams Corvette and SRT Viper, who would not be able to do both. Also, seeing as how the conflict particularly involves the factory Corvettes and Chevrolet is the title sponsor of the Belle Isle weekend, I would think the title sponsor would want their major sports car brand in the sports car race they are sponsoring and they easily could negotiate a scheduling change with both IndyCar and USCR.
With Belle Isle possibly moving, could this open the door for a possible return to the week after the Indianapolis 500 for Milwaukee? Andretti Sports Marketing has had some success with the race running on the Saturday before Father's Day but could returning Milwaukee to it's traditional date, sure up the safety of the event once and for all? We'll have to wait and see.
With all this taken to account, as well as other reports from updates (preview, #1, #2), here is a provisional calendar:
São Paulo: March 16th (reportedly moving to earlier in the schedule or it's not going to happen at all).
St. Petersburg: March 22-23rd (reportedly will be a doubleheader and keep it's date).
Barber: April 6th.
Long Beach: April 13th.
IMS Road Course: May 10th.
Indianapolis 500: May 25th.
Belle Isle or Milwaukee: June 1st (should Belle Isle stay or move and Milwaukee take it's traditional date).
Texas: June 7th.
Milwaukee: June 14th (should Milwaukee not take the weekend vacated by Belle Isle).
Iowa: June 22nd.
Fontana: June 28th or June 29th (reportedly could move to June to condense Triple Crown to three months but not official).
Pocono: July 6th.
Toronto: July 12-13th.
Mid-Ohio: August 3rd.
Baltimore: August 10th (will move from Labor Day due to a conflict with a college football game).
Houston: August 15-16th or 16-17th (throwing out the possibility of this doubleheader becoming a Friday night, Saturday night event. Houston was a night race in 2006).
Sonoma: August 24th.
Belle Isle or Fontana: August 30-31st (Should Belle Isle move and remain a doubleheader or Fontana remains the season finale and either run Saturday or Sunday.
One problem with the calendar above is the month long gap from Long Beach to the IMS road race. Could an event be moved to fill that gap? April 20th is Easter so I doubt a race would take place that weekend but April 27th makes sense as the date to fill. Could Baltimore move to the spring when the weather is cooler? Moving Baltimore frees up the second weekend August, which has been the date sports cars have run at Road America and seeing as Road America is interested in IndyCar returning, keeping that weekend free for a USCR/IndyCar doubleheader might be some forward thinking for 2015.
The calendar, could look like this:
São Paulo: March 16th (reportedly moving to earlier in the schedule or it's not going to happen at all).
St. Petersburg: March 22-23rd (reportedly will be a doubleheader and keep it's date).
Barber: April 6th.
Long Beach: April 13th.
Baltimore: April 27th (will move from Labor Day due to a conflict with a college football game).
IMS Road Course: May 10th.
Indianapolis 500: May 25th.
Belle Isle or Milwaukee: June 1st (should Belle Isle stay or move and Milwaukee take it's traditional date).
Texas: June 7th.
Milwaukee: June 14th (should Milwaukee not take the weekend vacated by Belle Isle).
Iowa: June 22nd.
Fontana: June 28th or June 29th (reportedly could move to June to condense Triple Crown to three months).
Pocono: July 6th.
Toronto: July 12-13th.
Mid-Ohio: August 3rd.
Houston: August 15-16th or 16-17th (throwing out the possibility of this doubleheader becoming a Friday night, Saturday night event. Houston was a night race in 2006).
Sonoma: August 24th.
Belle Isle or Fontana: August 30-31st (Should Belle Isle move and remain a doubleheader or Fontana remains the season finale and either run Saturday or Sunday.
Let's start with the possibility of an road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May. Graham Rahal and Ryan Briscoe tested a few different track configurations the other day and by the sound of it, the series is going to test more different configurations in the near future. While not necessarily the most popular race IndyCar could add to the schedule, and IMS road course race is appearing more and more likely to happen, and if it were to happen it would take place Saturday May 10, 2014. It would not be held that Sunday because that is Mother's Day and the feeling is Saturday would draw better than Sunday. I agree but let's just get this out of the way now, NASCAR is racing that same Saturday at Darlington though at night. So yes, it's racing the same day as NASCAR but the series is not necessarily dropping the ball by not racing on a Sunday.
With that said, the question then becomes what will happen to São Paulo, a race that has taken place in late April/early May the past three years? Recent reports out of Brazil say the race will not happen in 2014 citing the events failure to draw many tourists, traffic problems caused by the street circuit and the promoter, television network Rede Bandeirantes deciding to no longer invest in the event and the city ending their contract. However, Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star reported Mark Miles said in a text that all this was, "News to me."
Another interesting rumor to come out about the 2014 IndyCar schedule was made on Radio Le Mans Midweek Motorsport on Wednesday. Host John Hindhaugh said while talking to guest Marshall Pruett that allegedly IndyCar and USCR will be running at Belle Isle Labor Day weekend in 2014 (can be found at the 1:25:30 second mark of the podcast. Hindhaugh reiterated this at 1:43:50 and Pruett said "you can book your travel for that right now.") With IndyCar's plan to end by Labor Day, could Belle Isle be the season finale, knowing what Robin Miller reported three weeks ago that Fontana could move to June? I speculated back in July that Belle Isle could move to August because the current early June date for the race conflicts with the test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the creation of USCR and all belief IndyCar and USCR will run a doubleheader at Belle Isle, a move makes sense for USCR teams, especially the GT Le Mans teams Corvette and SRT Viper, who would not be able to do both. Also, seeing as how the conflict particularly involves the factory Corvettes and Chevrolet is the title sponsor of the Belle Isle weekend, I would think the title sponsor would want their major sports car brand in the sports car race they are sponsoring and they easily could negotiate a scheduling change with both IndyCar and USCR.
With Belle Isle possibly moving, could this open the door for a possible return to the week after the Indianapolis 500 for Milwaukee? Andretti Sports Marketing has had some success with the race running on the Saturday before Father's Day but could returning Milwaukee to it's traditional date, sure up the safety of the event once and for all? We'll have to wait and see.
With all this taken to account, as well as other reports from updates (preview, #1, #2), here is a provisional calendar:
São Paulo: March 16th (reportedly moving to earlier in the schedule or it's not going to happen at all).
St. Petersburg: March 22-23rd (reportedly will be a doubleheader and keep it's date).
Barber: April 6th.
Long Beach: April 13th.
IMS Road Course: May 10th.
Indianapolis 500: May 25th.
Belle Isle or Milwaukee: June 1st (should Belle Isle stay or move and Milwaukee take it's traditional date).
Texas: June 7th.
Milwaukee: June 14th (should Milwaukee not take the weekend vacated by Belle Isle).
Iowa: June 22nd.
Fontana: June 28th or June 29th (reportedly could move to June to condense Triple Crown to three months but not official).
Pocono: July 6th.
Toronto: July 12-13th.
Mid-Ohio: August 3rd.
Baltimore: August 10th (will move from Labor Day due to a conflict with a college football game).
Houston: August 15-16th or 16-17th (throwing out the possibility of this doubleheader becoming a Friday night, Saturday night event. Houston was a night race in 2006).
Sonoma: August 24th.
Belle Isle or Fontana: August 30-31st (Should Belle Isle move and remain a doubleheader or Fontana remains the season finale and either run Saturday or Sunday.
One problem with the calendar above is the month long gap from Long Beach to the IMS road race. Could an event be moved to fill that gap? April 20th is Easter so I doubt a race would take place that weekend but April 27th makes sense as the date to fill. Could Baltimore move to the spring when the weather is cooler? Moving Baltimore frees up the second weekend August, which has been the date sports cars have run at Road America and seeing as Road America is interested in IndyCar returning, keeping that weekend free for a USCR/IndyCar doubleheader might be some forward thinking for 2015.
The calendar, could look like this:
São Paulo: March 16th (reportedly moving to earlier in the schedule or it's not going to happen at all).
St. Petersburg: March 22-23rd (reportedly will be a doubleheader and keep it's date).
Barber: April 6th.
Long Beach: April 13th.
Baltimore: April 27th (will move from Labor Day due to a conflict with a college football game).
IMS Road Course: May 10th.
Indianapolis 500: May 25th.
Belle Isle or Milwaukee: June 1st (should Belle Isle stay or move and Milwaukee take it's traditional date).
Texas: June 7th.
Milwaukee: June 14th (should Milwaukee not take the weekend vacated by Belle Isle).
Iowa: June 22nd.
Fontana: June 28th or June 29th (reportedly could move to June to condense Triple Crown to three months).
Pocono: July 6th.
Toronto: July 12-13th.
Mid-Ohio: August 3rd.
Houston: August 15-16th or 16-17th (throwing out the possibility of this doubleheader becoming a Friday night, Saturday night event. Houston was a night race in 2006).
Sonoma: August 24th.
Belle Isle or Fontana: August 30-31st (Should Belle Isle move and remain a doubleheader or Fontana remains the season finale and either run Saturday or Sunday.
If I had to finalize this calendar, I'd say São Paulo doesn't happen, Fontana doesn't move to June and Belle Isle doesn't become the season finale but it would make sense that it move to another date. Milwaukee stay put on the Saturday before Father's Day and Baltimore moves to the Spring. Could Belle Isle move to late July after Toronto and before Mid-Ohio? Maybe but it couldn't be the final weekend in July because that is Brickyard 400 weekend and all signs point to USCR running with NASCAR and not the IndyCar IMS road course race, though it's rumored USCR wants to run in May. I see Belle Isle moving but I don't know where to.
Should Belle Isle move and Milwaukee hold their date, the week after the Indianapolis 500 will open up. Could Texas move up? Could another race move to that date? Could Mark Miles be holding his cards to his chest and there is a new event joining the IndyCar schedule? That is a weekend I know many want to see with a race to keep up momentum after the Indianapolis 500.
If I were to make one final prediction on the 2014 schedule today, here is what I envision:
St. Petersburg: March 22-23rd.
Barber: April 6th.
Long Beach: April 13th.
Baltimore: April 27th.
IMS Road Course: May 10th.
Indianapolis 500: May 25th.
Texas: June 7th.
Milwaukee: June 14th (unless they take the week after Indianapolis).
Iowa: June 22nd.
Pocono: July 6th.
Toronto: July 12-13th.
Belle Isle: July 19-20th (Because I don't see it keeping it's current date and I don't see it Labor Day weekend and this is right in the middle of the two).
Mid-Ohio: August 3rd.
Houston: August 15-16th or 16-17th (holding out the possibility of night events due to summer heat).
Sonoma: August 24th.
Fontana: August 30-31 or September 1st (depends if it is a Saturday night, Sunday, Sunday night, Monday or Monday night).
Not 100% confident but it's a start and there is plenty of time for more news to break and other dates to be confirmed.
Should Belle Isle move and Milwaukee hold their date, the week after the Indianapolis 500 will open up. Could Texas move up? Could another race move to that date? Could Mark Miles be holding his cards to his chest and there is a new event joining the IndyCar schedule? That is a weekend I know many want to see with a race to keep up momentum after the Indianapolis 500.
If I were to make one final prediction on the 2014 schedule today, here is what I envision:
St. Petersburg: March 22-23rd.
Barber: April 6th.
Long Beach: April 13th.
Baltimore: April 27th.
IMS Road Course: May 10th.
Indianapolis 500: May 25th.
Texas: June 7th.
Milwaukee: June 14th (unless they take the week after Indianapolis).
Iowa: June 22nd.
Pocono: July 6th.
Toronto: July 12-13th.
Belle Isle: July 19-20th (Because I don't see it keeping it's current date and I don't see it Labor Day weekend and this is right in the middle of the two).
Mid-Ohio: August 3rd.
Houston: August 15-16th or 16-17th (holding out the possibility of night events due to summer heat).
Sonoma: August 24th.
Fontana: August 30-31 or September 1st (depends if it is a Saturday night, Sunday, Sunday night, Monday or Monday night).
Not 100% confident but it's a start and there is plenty of time for more news to break and other dates to be confirmed.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Monza, Laguna Seca and Richmond
The final European round of the Formula One season takes place this weekend at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel enters leading the World Drivers' Championship by forty-six points over Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso. Vettel is coming off his fifth victory of the year after dominating the Belgian Grand Prix, leading every lap and scoring fastest lap but not completing the grand chelem due to starting second on the grid. Alonso has two wins in 2013 and looks to repeat his 2010 performance of winning the Italian Grand Prix in front of Ferrari's tifosi.
Lewis Hamilton is third in points and is the defending winner of the Italian Grand Prix. Hamilton has won four consecutive pole positions. Kimi Räikkönen has three podiums at Monza but has never stood on the top step. Mark Webber is fifth in the standings in what will be his final Italian Grand Prix for the meantime as he will move to Porsche's LMP1 program in 2014. Webber has yet to win in 2013 and has won the at least one race the last four seasons. Webber's best finish in the Italian Grand Prix is sixth. Nico Rosberg has two wins in 2013 and his best finish is fifth at Monza. Felipe Massa is seventh in the standings in what could be his final Italian Grand Prix driving for Ferrari. Romain Grosjean returns to race at Monza for the first time since GP2 in 2011. Grosjean was banned from last year's Italian Grand Prix after wreckless driving in the Belgian Grand Prix. Jenson Button and Paul di Resta round out the top ten in points. Five different manufactures have won the last five Italian Grand Prix.
The GP2 and GP3 championships you should keep an eye on. In GP2, Monegasque Stefano Coletti leads Brazilian Felipe Nasr by five points with three rounds, six races to go. In the last eight events, Coletti has only finished in the points once. Fabio Leimer is third, seven back of Coletti with Sam Bird fourth, fourteen back. Fellow Brit James Calado is fifth, twenty-four back of Coletti. Calado will also have the honor to drive for Force India in Formula One Friday first practice.
In GP3, Argentine Facu Regalia leads American Conor Daly by fourteen points with two rounds, four races to go. Cypriot Tio Ellinas is twenty points back in third with Estonian Kevin Korjus fourth, twenty-two back and Russian Daniil Kvyat fifth, twenty-seven back.
Friday second practice can be seen live at 8:00 a.m. ET on NBCSN with qualifying live Saturday at the same time and coverage for the Italian Grand Prix beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET Sunday. 1978 World Drivers' Champion Mario Andretti will join Leigh Diffey, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett and Will Buxton on the broadcast this weekend.
Grand-Am at Laguna Seca
The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series heads to Laguna Seca for the penultimate round of their season. Five points covers the top six teams in the Daytona Prototype standings. Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor lead the DP standings by two points over Christian Fittipaldi with the Starworks pairing of Ryan Dalziel and Alex Popow third, three back. João Barbosa and two-time Daytona Prototype champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogerty are tied for fourth, four back. Barbosa holds the tiebreaker with two wins to Gurney/Fogerty's one win. The winners of the last three Daytona Prototype championships Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas are sixth, five points back. Last year, the Spirit of Daytona team with Richard Westbrook and Antonio García won at Monterey.
Three points cover the top three teams in GT. Alessandro Balzan leads after picking up his first victory of 2013 at Kansas Speedway with Leh Keen his co-driver. Andy Lally and John Potter are second in GT, one point back despite not winning a race yet in 2013. John Edwards and Robin Liddell are three points back in third and have four wins in 2013. Liddell has finished second in the GT standings twice before, once in 2008 and again last year. Liddell has won the season finale the last three season.
This race at Laguna Seca features a handful of IndyCar drivers. Justin Wilson returns to Michael Shank Racing to team with Gustavo Yacaman while Sébastien Bourdais teams with Emilio DiGuida at 8Star Motorsports. Alex Tagliani returns to AIM Motorsports to team with Jeff Segal for the a second consecutive round. Tagliani won pole at his first race at Kansas Speedway. Tagliani will run the finale at Lime Rock Park as well. Ganassi Racing will field a second Daytona Prototype for Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon.
The race from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca can be seen live at 5:00 p.m. ET Sunday on Fox Sports 1.
The Final Race Before The Chase
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Richmond for the twenty-sixth and final race before the Chase. Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth have all clinched a spot in the top ten while Kasey Kahne has clinched at least a wild card. Four spots and one wild card remain open with eleven drivers competing for the final spots in the Chase. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch currently hold the top ten spots. Jeff Gordon is eleventh, six behind Busch. Gordon needs a win to get a wild card should he not make the top ten. Kasey Kahne currently holds one of the wild card spots but could end up in the top ten and qualify that way. Martin Truex, Jr. holds the second wild card positions with one win and five points above Ryan Newman, who also has one win. Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski is fifteenth, twenty-eight back of tenth and a win and thirteen back of the second wild card position. Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard are the other two drivers who remain eligible for a Chase position. McMurray can still qualify for the top ten but needs to score at least forty points to do so. Menard must win and outscore both Truex, Jr. and Newman for the final wild card.
Coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from Richmond begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
Lewis Hamilton is third in points and is the defending winner of the Italian Grand Prix. Hamilton has won four consecutive pole positions. Kimi Räikkönen has three podiums at Monza but has never stood on the top step. Mark Webber is fifth in the standings in what will be his final Italian Grand Prix for the meantime as he will move to Porsche's LMP1 program in 2014. Webber has yet to win in 2013 and has won the at least one race the last four seasons. Webber's best finish in the Italian Grand Prix is sixth. Nico Rosberg has two wins in 2013 and his best finish is fifth at Monza. Felipe Massa is seventh in the standings in what could be his final Italian Grand Prix driving for Ferrari. Romain Grosjean returns to race at Monza for the first time since GP2 in 2011. Grosjean was banned from last year's Italian Grand Prix after wreckless driving in the Belgian Grand Prix. Jenson Button and Paul di Resta round out the top ten in points. Five different manufactures have won the last five Italian Grand Prix.
The GP2 and GP3 championships you should keep an eye on. In GP2, Monegasque Stefano Coletti leads Brazilian Felipe Nasr by five points with three rounds, six races to go. In the last eight events, Coletti has only finished in the points once. Fabio Leimer is third, seven back of Coletti with Sam Bird fourth, fourteen back. Fellow Brit James Calado is fifth, twenty-four back of Coletti. Calado will also have the honor to drive for Force India in Formula One Friday first practice.
In GP3, Argentine Facu Regalia leads American Conor Daly by fourteen points with two rounds, four races to go. Cypriot Tio Ellinas is twenty points back in third with Estonian Kevin Korjus fourth, twenty-two back and Russian Daniil Kvyat fifth, twenty-seven back.
Friday second practice can be seen live at 8:00 a.m. ET on NBCSN with qualifying live Saturday at the same time and coverage for the Italian Grand Prix beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET Sunday. 1978 World Drivers' Champion Mario Andretti will join Leigh Diffey, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett and Will Buxton on the broadcast this weekend.
Grand-Am at Laguna Seca
The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series heads to Laguna Seca for the penultimate round of their season. Five points covers the top six teams in the Daytona Prototype standings. Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor lead the DP standings by two points over Christian Fittipaldi with the Starworks pairing of Ryan Dalziel and Alex Popow third, three back. João Barbosa and two-time Daytona Prototype champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogerty are tied for fourth, four back. Barbosa holds the tiebreaker with two wins to Gurney/Fogerty's one win. The winners of the last three Daytona Prototype championships Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas are sixth, five points back. Last year, the Spirit of Daytona team with Richard Westbrook and Antonio García won at Monterey.
Three points cover the top three teams in GT. Alessandro Balzan leads after picking up his first victory of 2013 at Kansas Speedway with Leh Keen his co-driver. Andy Lally and John Potter are second in GT, one point back despite not winning a race yet in 2013. John Edwards and Robin Liddell are three points back in third and have four wins in 2013. Liddell has finished second in the GT standings twice before, once in 2008 and again last year. Liddell has won the season finale the last three season.
This race at Laguna Seca features a handful of IndyCar drivers. Justin Wilson returns to Michael Shank Racing to team with Gustavo Yacaman while Sébastien Bourdais teams with Emilio DiGuida at 8Star Motorsports. Alex Tagliani returns to AIM Motorsports to team with Jeff Segal for the a second consecutive round. Tagliani won pole at his first race at Kansas Speedway. Tagliani will run the finale at Lime Rock Park as well. Ganassi Racing will field a second Daytona Prototype for Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon.
The race from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca can be seen live at 5:00 p.m. ET Sunday on Fox Sports 1.
The Final Race Before The Chase
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Richmond for the twenty-sixth and final race before the Chase. Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth have all clinched a spot in the top ten while Kasey Kahne has clinched at least a wild card. Four spots and one wild card remain open with eleven drivers competing for the final spots in the Chase. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch currently hold the top ten spots. Jeff Gordon is eleventh, six behind Busch. Gordon needs a win to get a wild card should he not make the top ten. Kasey Kahne currently holds one of the wild card spots but could end up in the top ten and qualify that way. Martin Truex, Jr. holds the second wild card positions with one win and five points above Ryan Newman, who also has one win. Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski is fifteenth, twenty-eight back of tenth and a win and thirteen back of the second wild card position. Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard are the other two drivers who remain eligible for a Chase position. McMurray can still qualify for the top ten but needs to score at least forty points to do so. Menard must win and outscore both Truex, Jr. and Newman for the final wild card.
Coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from Richmond begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Things You Will Not Hear At The IMS Road Course Test
Graham Rahal and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Ryan Briscoe and Panther Racing will being testing the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today. The test is meant to gather data on the current layout and where changes and upgrades could be made. The test takes place today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET
There are a few things you are not going to hear from this test:
There are a few things you are not going to hear from this test:
- You are not going to hear either Rahal or Briscoe get out of their car and say, "This place is God-awful. We should never run a race here." It's not going happen. Unless a giant sink hole appears on the road course back stretch as the cars are on track, they are going to get out of the car, say how fun it was, point out differences in running clockwise and counter-clockwise, the difference in running oval turn one and the road course section in turn one, etc.
- You are not going to hear Rahal or Briscoe get out of their car and say, "This is the greatest road course in history. Why IndyCar isn't running here already is beyond me. We need a race on this road course next week. Why not? IndyCar needs a race and all but Penske and Foyt can be get to the Speedway in a half hour. Let's race here next Sunday." We are not going to hear that.
- We are not also going to hear, "Wow, look at the enormous crowd that came out for this test."
- We are not going to hear either of the drivers say, "I like the road course more than the oval."
- We are not going to hear an announcement that there will be an IndyCar road course race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014. If that does come, it will be at a later date.
- We are not going to hear either driver get out of their cars and say, "Beaux Barfield should be fire."
- "It has always been my dream to win a road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway."
- "I hope we can get the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to run the road course.
When the test is done, the drivers will be happy they were given the opportunity to be behind the wheel of a car and got to run some laps and that's all we're probably going to hear. Don't expect any big news to break or any comment off the wall. As much as I disagree with the idea of running a race at the IMS road course, the test is happening and is a step toward the race actually happening. But until something is announced, this is only a test. To those going, enjoy.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Where IndyCar Stands After Baltimore
As IndyCar heads into their 34 day Labor Day/Autumn break, a lot was shaken up after Baltimore. Let's cover all the bases for you:
- Helio Castroneves leads Scott Dixon by forty-nine points with three races to go. Simon Pagenaud is third after his victory seventy back with Marco Andretti a point back of Pagenaud and Ryan Hunter-Reay another three back of Andretti.
- Only the top eleven remain mathematically eligible for the championship. That would mean Justin Wilson, Dario Franchitti, James Hinchcliffe, Will Power, Charlie Kimball and Tony Kanaan still have a shot. However, these drivers are only eligible if Castroneves does not run the remaining three races. Should Castroneves start the remaining three races and AJ Allmendinger run Fontana, the most points a driver could gain on Castroneves is 145. Knowing this fact, should Castroneves start race one at Houston, he will eliminated Kanaan from championship contention but the top ten in points will still have a mathematically shot at the title.
If you are trying to keep track of who is mad at who, here you go:
- Scott Dixon thinks Beaux Barfield should be fired.
- Bobby Rahal was mad at Tony Kanaan. But they're making up over Lebanese food and wine.
- Sébastien Bourdais is mad at Simon Pagenaud.
- Justin Wilson is mad at Sébastien Bourdais.
- Scott Dixon is also mad at Graham Rahal and Will Power.
- Graham Rahal was a little peeved at Tristan Vautier after Saturday incident in qualifying.
- It seems Dario Franchitti is still mad at Will Power.
- Who knows how Roger Penske feels about Marco Andretti.
Where we also stand is believing this weekend next year will be the final race of the season and we don't even though where that season finale will be. Fontana seems the obvious choice but that was rumored to move to June. Either way it appears Fontana will be in the heat of summer after the race was moved to October this year to avoid that. Baltimore is moving to another date not just next year but it appears 2015 as well because the convention center which is used as the IndyCar paddock has been reserved for Labor Day weekend 2015 by the American Legion. Could it move a few weeks up in August? Sure, but it will be just as hot and humid as it has been the last few years. My take: Don't run an IMS road course race in the beginning of May (or at all), move Baltimore to early May when it's cooler.
Going back for a second, the 2014 season could be over by this time next year. Think about that? Even if the season started the week after the Super Bowl in February, that's still only seven months of racing and five months off. How is that any different than starting late March and going to mid-October and taking all but one day of September off? Not to mention, if Fontana is going to be the 2014 season finale and that race will be Labor Day weekend, when are you running it? Saturday night against the first Saturday night of the college football season, Sunday night against the NASCAR race at Atlanta or avoid that and race it Sunday afternoon in the heat of the afternoon in Southern California or race it Monday night against really nothing but against at least one college football game?
And international exhibition races aren't going to draw new fans to the series. By the way, what is going to draw current fans to tuning in for exhibition races? They don't count for anything, the drivers have nothing to race for unless there is a large prize and they could be on at an ungodly hour. I am all for international races but just as exhibitions make no sense.
And international exhibition races aren't going to draw new fans to the series. By the way, what is going to draw current fans to tuning in for exhibition races? They don't count for anything, the drivers have nothing to race for unless there is a large prize and they could be on at an ungodly hour. I am all for international races but just as exhibitions make no sense.
Now the series is off but don't worry, there is PLENTY OF TIME to talk about the 2014 schedule, 2014 silly season and there many other racing series still in action. Stay tuned.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Baltimore 2013: First Impressions
1. What a great race. Sure, there was a lot of carnage. Sure, there were some tough calls but IndyCar had a knockout, street fight with a hell of a lot of passing, pissed off drivers and great battles all over the place. Whether you agree with the penalties or not, the race was great. It wasn't pretty race but no one ever says, "I hope we see a pretty race to day."
2. Simon Pagenaud was a man on a mission and once he got behind Marco Andretti with a broken wing, it was all but over. Pagenaud earned that win and now he has two on the season. More than Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti.
3. Remember last year when we heard rumors Roger Penske was really interested in Josef Newgarden? If Penske isn't knocking on Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing's door Tuesday morning (because Monday is a holiday) with a blank check for Newgarden and a guaranteed technical alliance with the team switching to Chevrolet for next year and the rest of eternity he mind as well sell his team and quit because Newgarden has driven his ass off the last two season and will be winning races when in the right seat.
4. How Sébastien Bourdais and Justin Wilson aren't on better teams is beyond me. I bet Paul Newman is up in Heaven, trying to get God to let him out for a year or two to resurrect Newman Haas, hire Bourdais and Wilson, get an Indianapolis 500 win, get another ten race wins and another championship or two.
5. Happy Birthday Simona de Silvestro! You get a top five. Her season hasn't be stellar but compare it to 2012 with Lotus, this year has been cloud nine for her.
6. Charlie Kimball gets a top ten as does James Hinchcliffe and Sebastián Saavedra. Good for them.
7. How Helio Castroneves got a top ten is beyond me. He has damage lap one, gets caught up in another incident and stalls, gets black flagged and still finishes every lap in ninth.
8. It looked like Marco Andretti nearly had that one but a top ten with a broken front wing is good enough.
9. This championship has been insane. Right when it looks like Scott Dixon was going to make this a great championship battle at Sonoma, s*** hits the fan. Looks like Dixon is going to cut it down to about a dozen points at Baltimore, s*** hits the fan and Will Power runs over him. Easiest way to win the title now? Sweep Houston and take Fontana.
10. Well, that's the knife to Ryan Hunter-Reay's championship hopes. Unless he wins out.
11. Another week and some more questionable driving. And it wasn't young guys either. Hell there were only three rookies in the field. Graham Rahal made a questionable move, Oriol Servià made a questionable move. Everyone needs a month off at this point.
12. I said Stefan Wilson would get a top fifteen today. He finished sixteenth. Damn.
13. Drivers who really need a month off: Dario Franchitti, Takuma Sato, Tony Kanaan, Ryan Hunter-Reay.
14. Can we have standing starts at Baltimore next year?
15. If Honda is having trouble with the heat and humidity of Baltimore, hate to see what happens at Houston. Which is a doubleheader.
16. A month off sucks. Any way IndyCar can work a deal out with NASCAR and run the Saturday afternoon before Richmond and how about the Saturday before New Hampshire as well?
17. Houston should be fun. It's due or die for everyone if they want to win the championship and beat Castroneves.
2. Simon Pagenaud was a man on a mission and once he got behind Marco Andretti with a broken wing, it was all but over. Pagenaud earned that win and now he has two on the season. More than Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti.
3. Remember last year when we heard rumors Roger Penske was really interested in Josef Newgarden? If Penske isn't knocking on Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing's door Tuesday morning (because Monday is a holiday) with a blank check for Newgarden and a guaranteed technical alliance with the team switching to Chevrolet for next year and the rest of eternity he mind as well sell his team and quit because Newgarden has driven his ass off the last two season and will be winning races when in the right seat.
4. How Sébastien Bourdais and Justin Wilson aren't on better teams is beyond me. I bet Paul Newman is up in Heaven, trying to get God to let him out for a year or two to resurrect Newman Haas, hire Bourdais and Wilson, get an Indianapolis 500 win, get another ten race wins and another championship or two.
5. Happy Birthday Simona de Silvestro! You get a top five. Her season hasn't be stellar but compare it to 2012 with Lotus, this year has been cloud nine for her.
6. Charlie Kimball gets a top ten as does James Hinchcliffe and Sebastián Saavedra. Good for them.
7. How Helio Castroneves got a top ten is beyond me. He has damage lap one, gets caught up in another incident and stalls, gets black flagged and still finishes every lap in ninth.
8. It looked like Marco Andretti nearly had that one but a top ten with a broken front wing is good enough.
9. This championship has been insane. Right when it looks like Scott Dixon was going to make this a great championship battle at Sonoma, s*** hits the fan. Looks like Dixon is going to cut it down to about a dozen points at Baltimore, s*** hits the fan and Will Power runs over him. Easiest way to win the title now? Sweep Houston and take Fontana.
10. Well, that's the knife to Ryan Hunter-Reay's championship hopes. Unless he wins out.
11. Another week and some more questionable driving. And it wasn't young guys either. Hell there were only three rookies in the field. Graham Rahal made a questionable move, Oriol Servià made a questionable move. Everyone needs a month off at this point.
12. I said Stefan Wilson would get a top fifteen today. He finished sixteenth. Damn.
13. Drivers who really need a month off: Dario Franchitti, Takuma Sato, Tony Kanaan, Ryan Hunter-Reay.
14. Can we have standing starts at Baltimore next year?
15. If Honda is having trouble with the heat and humidity of Baltimore, hate to see what happens at Houston. Which is a doubleheader.
16. A month off sucks. Any way IndyCar can work a deal out with NASCAR and run the Saturday afternoon before Richmond and how about the Saturday before New Hampshire as well?
17. Houston should be fun. It's due or die for everyone if they want to win the championship and beat Castroneves.
Morning Warm-Up: Baltimore 2013
Scott Dixon rolls off from pole position for the Grand Prix of Baltimore as the Kiwi looks to make up ground on the championship points leader Helio Castroneves. Dixon won the Sunday race at Toronto from pole position this year and has won the last five races he has started on pole dating back to Motegi 2009. Should Dixon hold on for the win and score maximum points and Castroneves finish where he is starting in seventh, Dixon will trail the Brazilian by eleven points heading into the final three races of the season.
Will Power will start second after picking up his first victory of the season last week at Sonoma. Power won the inaugural Grand Prix of Baltimore two years ago. Simon Pagenaud will start third. He finished third at Baltimore last year. Justin Wilson starts fourth. Wilson has three podiums in 2013 but finished seventeenth last year at Baltimore. Josef Newgarden starts fifth in what will be his first career IndyCar start at Baltimore. Newgarden missed the race last year after suffering a broken finger at Sonoma and was substituted by Bruno Junqueira. Tristan Vautier will start sixth place. He has won each year at the Grand Prix of Baltimore. In 2011, he won in Star Mazda and last year he won the Indy Lights race.
Castroneves starts seventh, a career best for the Brazilian at Baltimore. Ryan Hunter-Reay starts eighth. He won from tenth on the grid last year at Baltimore. Charlie Kimball starts ninth. Kimball has finished twenty-first and eighteenth in his two Baltimore starts. Takuma Sato rounds out the top ten. Sato has only one top ten finish since Indianapolis, a seventh at Milwaukee and the Japanese driver has finished twentieth or worse in every race since Milwaukee. James Hinchcliffe starts eleventh as he looks for his fourth win in 2013 and Graham Rahal starts twelfth after bringing out a red flag at the end of the second round of qualifying. The Ohioan was set to make the Firestone Fast Six had he not caused the red flag.
Luca Filippi starts thirteenth for his second career start. Tony Kanaan will start fourteenth in what will be his 212th consecutive and record breaking start. The first race of this streak was Portland 2001. Kanaan completed only one lap. Oriol Servià starts fifteenth. The Spaniard has finished second and seventh in two starts at Baltimore. Marco Andretti starts sixteenth as he looks for his first career top ten at Baltimore and tries to keep his championship hopes alive. Simona de Silvestro will start seventeenth on her twenty-fifth birthday. Should she win, de Silvestro would become the tenth different driver to win on their birthday and first woman to do so. Ed Carpenter starts eighteenth.
Sebastián Saavedra starts nineteenth with EJ Viso starting twentieth. Stefan Wilson will debut in twenty-first. Two years ago, Wilson finished fifth in the Indy Lights race at Baltimore. Sébastien Bourdais will start twenty-second after clipping the tires in the chicane during qualifying. James Jakes and Dario Franchitti will start on the final row. Both also changed to their sixth engine of the season, making them ineligible to score points toward the Manufactures' championship.
NBCSN's live coverage of the Grand Prix of Baltimore begins at 2:00 p.m. ET with green flag at 2:40 p.m. ET.
Will Power will start second after picking up his first victory of the season last week at Sonoma. Power won the inaugural Grand Prix of Baltimore two years ago. Simon Pagenaud will start third. He finished third at Baltimore last year. Justin Wilson starts fourth. Wilson has three podiums in 2013 but finished seventeenth last year at Baltimore. Josef Newgarden starts fifth in what will be his first career IndyCar start at Baltimore. Newgarden missed the race last year after suffering a broken finger at Sonoma and was substituted by Bruno Junqueira. Tristan Vautier will start sixth place. He has won each year at the Grand Prix of Baltimore. In 2011, he won in Star Mazda and last year he won the Indy Lights race.
Castroneves starts seventh, a career best for the Brazilian at Baltimore. Ryan Hunter-Reay starts eighth. He won from tenth on the grid last year at Baltimore. Charlie Kimball starts ninth. Kimball has finished twenty-first and eighteenth in his two Baltimore starts. Takuma Sato rounds out the top ten. Sato has only one top ten finish since Indianapolis, a seventh at Milwaukee and the Japanese driver has finished twentieth or worse in every race since Milwaukee. James Hinchcliffe starts eleventh as he looks for his fourth win in 2013 and Graham Rahal starts twelfth after bringing out a red flag at the end of the second round of qualifying. The Ohioan was set to make the Firestone Fast Six had he not caused the red flag.
Luca Filippi starts thirteenth for his second career start. Tony Kanaan will start fourteenth in what will be his 212th consecutive and record breaking start. The first race of this streak was Portland 2001. Kanaan completed only one lap. Oriol Servià starts fifteenth. The Spaniard has finished second and seventh in two starts at Baltimore. Marco Andretti starts sixteenth as he looks for his first career top ten at Baltimore and tries to keep his championship hopes alive. Simona de Silvestro will start seventeenth on her twenty-fifth birthday. Should she win, de Silvestro would become the tenth different driver to win on their birthday and first woman to do so. Ed Carpenter starts eighteenth.
Sebastián Saavedra starts nineteenth with EJ Viso starting twentieth. Stefan Wilson will debut in twenty-first. Two years ago, Wilson finished fifth in the Indy Lights race at Baltimore. Sébastien Bourdais will start twenty-second after clipping the tires in the chicane during qualifying. James Jakes and Dario Franchitti will start on the final row. Both also changed to their sixth engine of the season, making them ineligible to score points toward the Manufactures' championship.
NBCSN's live coverage of the Grand Prix of Baltimore begins at 2:00 p.m. ET with green flag at 2:40 p.m. ET.
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