Andretti Autosport swept the front row for the Pocono Indy 400 Fueled by Sunoco with Marco Andretti taking his second pole position of the season as he broke the track record by ten miles per hour. His two lap average of 221.273 MPH broke the track record set by Emerson Fittipaldi twenty-four years ago. Andretti has been atop of the time sheets after every session in Pocono. Now he needs to find a way to be on top at the end of four hundred miles. Ryan Hunter-Reay starts second ahead of James Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe beat Hunter-Reay to the line two weeks ago at Iowa to collect his third win of 2013.
Will Power starts on the inside of row two with Triple Crown hopeful Tony Kanaan in the middle and Helio Castroneves on the outside. In seven starts in races over four hundred miles, Power has only two top ten finishes but has started in the top ten now six times after his qualifying efforts Saturday. Tony Kanaan looks to keep his hopes alive for the prize of $1 million for winning the Triple Crown and looks to get back in the championship hunt. A win at Pocono not only keeps his hopes alive for Fontana but will pocket him $250,000 for winning two of the three legs of the Triple Crown. Helio Castroneves leads Ryan Hunter-Reay by nine points in the championship standings as he tries to win his first career IndyCar championship.
Honda swept row three with Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato and Simon Pagenaud. Dixon is looking for his first win of 2013 as he sits seventh in standings, just one point behind Pagenaud and seven points ahead of Sato. Simona de Silvestro starts on the inside of row four in tenth position. This is the Swiss driver's first career top ten start on an oval. Joining her on row four are Frenchmen Tristan Vautier and Sébastien Bourdais. Bourdais is the only driver to have competed in every race and not score a top ten finish.
Row five features the Hondas of Charlie Kimball and James Jakes with Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter Ed Carpenter starting in fifteenth position. With his fourth place finish at Iowa, Carpenter scored his second top five of 2013, only the second time he has scored multiple top fives in one season. Another top five and he would set a career high with three in one season. Josef Newgarden starts sixteenth ahead of Graham Rahal and Dario Franchitti. Franchitti reported on Twitter his team changed engines. No word on if he will served a ten grid spot penalty.
Row seven features the Dale Coyne entries of Pippa Mann and Justin Wilson with Sebastián Saavedra starting on the outside. This is not the first time Mann has out qualified her teammate. At Indianapolis in 2011 she qualified thirty-first while then-Conquest Racing teammate Sebastián Saavedra failed to make the show and at Texas last month Mann started nineteenth, one position ahead of her teammate Justin Wilson. The eighth and final row for the Pocono Indy 400 Fueled by Sunoco features three drivers who did not completed a qualifying attempt Saturday. EJ Viso starts on the inside and had an accident exiting turn one on his second lap. His first lap was good enough for fourth fastest. Ryan Briscoe starts in the middle after skipping qualifying to race in the American Le Mans Series race at Lime Rock Park. Alex Tagliani starts on the outside after having an accident exiting turn one on his first lap of qualifying.
The Pocono Indy 400 can be seen at noon ET on ABC. It is the final race broadcast for ABC. The remaining eight races will be broadcasted by NBCSN.
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Sunday, July 7, 2013
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Andretti Autosport Qualifies 1-2-3 For Pocono
Marco Andretti ended another session atop of the speed charts except this time he was rewarded with one championship point and pole position for the Pocono Indy 400 Fueled by Sunoco. Andretti won the pole with a two lap average of 221.273 MPH, it's his second pole of the season and fourth of his career.
Behind Andretti will be two of his Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe. EJ Viso had a first lap that would have put him fourth on the grid but an accident in turn one on his second lap ended the Venezuelans day and he will have to start from the back. Will Power qualified fourth after posting the second fastest lap one of the day. Triple Crown hopeful Tony Kanaan will start fifth ahead of fellow Brazilian Helio Castroneves. The Hondas of Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato and Simon Pagenaud take the next three positions with Simona de Silvestro rounding out the top ten, her best career start on an oval.
Rookie Tristan Vautier will start eleventh ahead of fellow Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais. Charlie Kimball was thirteenth fastest ahead of the Honda of James Jakes. Ed Carpenter will start fifteenth ahead of his successor at Sarah Fisher-Hartman Racing Josef Newgarden. Graham Rahal was seventeenth ahead of former Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti. Pippa Mann out qualified her Dale Coyne teammate and they will start nineteenth and twentieth respectively. Sebastián Saavedra was twenty-first.
Alex Tagliani was the final driver to make a qualifying attempt and he had an accident on his first qualifying lap. The two drivers who had accidents, Tagliani and Viso, will be joined on the eighth row by Ryan Briscoe who did not make a qualifying attempt. Briscoe is in Lime Rock Park for the American Le Mans Series race. ABC's coverage of tomorrow's Pocono Indy 400 Fueled by Sunoco begins at noon ET.
Behind Andretti will be two of his Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe. EJ Viso had a first lap that would have put him fourth on the grid but an accident in turn one on his second lap ended the Venezuelans day and he will have to start from the back. Will Power qualified fourth after posting the second fastest lap one of the day. Triple Crown hopeful Tony Kanaan will start fifth ahead of fellow Brazilian Helio Castroneves. The Hondas of Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato and Simon Pagenaud take the next three positions with Simona de Silvestro rounding out the top ten, her best career start on an oval.
Rookie Tristan Vautier will start eleventh ahead of fellow Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais. Charlie Kimball was thirteenth fastest ahead of the Honda of James Jakes. Ed Carpenter will start fifteenth ahead of his successor at Sarah Fisher-Hartman Racing Josef Newgarden. Graham Rahal was seventeenth ahead of former Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti. Pippa Mann out qualified her Dale Coyne teammate and they will start nineteenth and twentieth respectively. Sebastián Saavedra was twenty-first.
Alex Tagliani was the final driver to make a qualifying attempt and he had an accident on his first qualifying lap. The two drivers who had accidents, Tagliani and Viso, will be joined on the eighth row by Ryan Briscoe who did not make a qualifying attempt. Briscoe is in Lime Rock Park for the American Le Mans Series race. ABC's coverage of tomorrow's Pocono Indy 400 Fueled by Sunoco begins at noon ET.
Andretti, Kanaan 1-2 Again at Pocono
Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan were one-two again at Pocono Raceway as Andretti reset fastest lap of the weekend with a 40.5620 (221.883 MPH). Kanaan was 0.1953 seconds back. The Hondas of Charlie Kimball and Simon Pagenaud took the next two positions on the timesheet with points leader Helio Castroneves in fifth.
Scott Dixon was sixth ahead of Long Beach winner Takuma Sato. Will Power and James Hinchcliffe were eighth and ninth. Power brought out a yellow flag after stopping on course with what appeared to be an electrical problem. Bryan Herta Autosport's Alex Tagliani made a surprise appearance rounding out the top ten. Defending champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was eleventh.
Rookie Tristan Vautier was twelfth fastest ahead of EJ Viso and Simona de Silvestro. Josef Newgarden rounded out the top fifteen ahead of two four-time champions, Dario Franchitti and Sébastien Bourdais. Pippa Mann was eighteenth. Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter Ed Carpenter was nineteenth ahead of fellow Chevrolet driver Sebastián Saavedra. Former Dale Coyne teammates Justin Wilson and James Jakes were twenty-first and twenty-second respectively with Jakes current teammate Graham Rahal rounding out the field in twenty-third.
After a Chevrolet dominated test on Thursday, Chevrolet only took eleven of the top twenty positions with the neither manufacture have more than two consecutive cars on the timesheet. The top thirteen times were covered by 0.4411 seconds with the top twenty covered by 0.7568 seconds and the whole field covered by 0.9026 seconds. The #4 National Guard Chevrolet of Panther Racing and Ryan Briscoe did not make a lap as Briscoe is in Lime Rock Park for the American Le Mans Series race. The team will not participate in qualifying either and start at the back for Sunday's four hundred mile race.
Qualifying for the Pocono Indy 400 Fueled by Sunoco will take place at 1:15 p.m. ET.
Scott Dixon was sixth ahead of Long Beach winner Takuma Sato. Will Power and James Hinchcliffe were eighth and ninth. Power brought out a yellow flag after stopping on course with what appeared to be an electrical problem. Bryan Herta Autosport's Alex Tagliani made a surprise appearance rounding out the top ten. Defending champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was eleventh.
Rookie Tristan Vautier was twelfth fastest ahead of EJ Viso and Simona de Silvestro. Josef Newgarden rounded out the top fifteen ahead of two four-time champions, Dario Franchitti and Sébastien Bourdais. Pippa Mann was eighteenth. Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter Ed Carpenter was nineteenth ahead of fellow Chevrolet driver Sebastián Saavedra. Former Dale Coyne teammates Justin Wilson and James Jakes were twenty-first and twenty-second respectively with Jakes current teammate Graham Rahal rounding out the field in twenty-third.
After a Chevrolet dominated test on Thursday, Chevrolet only took eleven of the top twenty positions with the neither manufacture have more than two consecutive cars on the timesheet. The top thirteen times were covered by 0.4411 seconds with the top twenty covered by 0.7568 seconds and the whole field covered by 0.9026 seconds. The #4 National Guard Chevrolet of Panther Racing and Ryan Briscoe did not make a lap as Briscoe is in Lime Rock Park for the American Le Mans Series race. The team will not participate in qualifying either and start at the back for Sunday's four hundred mile race.
Qualifying for the Pocono Indy 400 Fueled by Sunoco will take place at 1:15 p.m. ET.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Andretti Leads Independence Day Test
There will be a new track record set Saturday afternoon. The only questions are who will set it and how fast?
All twenty-four cars obliterated the current track record of 42.510 seconds (211.715 MPH) set by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989. Marco Andretti led the way with the fastest time, 40.7308 seconds (220.963 MPH), nearly a full mile per hour faster than second fastest and Triple Crown hopeful Tony Kanaan (40.9460 seconds/219.802 MPH). Chevrolet swept the top five while taking eight of the top ten on Thursday. Helio Castroneves was third ahead of Ed Carpenter and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Scott Dixon was the fastest Honda in sixth position, 0.5117 seconds off Andretti.
Sébastien Bourdais was a surprise seventh quickest on the day ahead of the most recent IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe and Penske's Will Power. James Jakes was tenth fastest ahead of three fellow Honda drivers Simon Pagenaud, Charlie Kimball and Justin Wilson. One driver and team we know will not set the track record on Saturday is Ryan Briscoe and Panther Racing as Briscoe will be at Lime Rock Park driving in the American Le Mans Series race for Level 5 Motorsports. Panther Racing will not make a qualifying attempt and start twenty-fourth on Sunday. The Australian was fourteenth fastest yesterday.
The only driver in the field to have raced at Pocono was fifteenth fastest. That driver is Dario Franchitti who made one NASCAR start at Pocono in 2008 where he started fourteenth, completed one hundred and thirty-seven laps and finished forty-first. Sixteenth fastest was Alex Tagliani ahead of Josef Newgarden and EJ Viso. AJ Foyt Racing's Takuma Sato was nineteenth. AJ Foyt will not be at Pocono after undergoing hip replacement surgery. Rookie Tristan Vautier was twentieth ahead of Simona de Silvestro and Graham Rahal. Pippa Mann was twenty-third and Sebastián Saavedra rounded out the field with a time of 41.8603 seconds (215.001 MPH).
The top ten were covered by 0.5913 seconds with the top fifteenth covered by 0.6449 seconds, the top twenty covered by 0.7078 seconds and 1.1295 seconds covering the whole field.
IndyCar drivers will have 90 minutes of practice on Saturday with a one hour practice at 10 a.m. ET and a 30 minute session at 5:30 p.m. ET. IndyCar qualifying is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET. Tristan Vautier is scheduled to go out first in qualifying with heavy-hitter Marco Andretti and Scott Dixon going out third and fourth respectively. Drivers to watch out for in qualifying are James Hinchcliffe (seventh in the qualifying order), Ryan Hunter-Reay (eleventh), Helio Castroneves (twelfth), Will Power (sixteenth), Simon Pagenaud (seventeenth), Tony Kanaan (eighteenth), Dario Franchitti (nineteenth) and Ed Carpenter (twenty-first). Alex Tagliani will be the final driver to post a time.
ABC's coverage of the Pocono Indy 400, the first IndyCar race at the 2.5 mile triangle in nearly a quarter of a century, begins at noon on Sunday.
All twenty-four cars obliterated the current track record of 42.510 seconds (211.715 MPH) set by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989. Marco Andretti led the way with the fastest time, 40.7308 seconds (220.963 MPH), nearly a full mile per hour faster than second fastest and Triple Crown hopeful Tony Kanaan (40.9460 seconds/219.802 MPH). Chevrolet swept the top five while taking eight of the top ten on Thursday. Helio Castroneves was third ahead of Ed Carpenter and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Scott Dixon was the fastest Honda in sixth position, 0.5117 seconds off Andretti.
Sébastien Bourdais was a surprise seventh quickest on the day ahead of the most recent IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe and Penske's Will Power. James Jakes was tenth fastest ahead of three fellow Honda drivers Simon Pagenaud, Charlie Kimball and Justin Wilson. One driver and team we know will not set the track record on Saturday is Ryan Briscoe and Panther Racing as Briscoe will be at Lime Rock Park driving in the American Le Mans Series race for Level 5 Motorsports. Panther Racing will not make a qualifying attempt and start twenty-fourth on Sunday. The Australian was fourteenth fastest yesterday.
The only driver in the field to have raced at Pocono was fifteenth fastest. That driver is Dario Franchitti who made one NASCAR start at Pocono in 2008 where he started fourteenth, completed one hundred and thirty-seven laps and finished forty-first. Sixteenth fastest was Alex Tagliani ahead of Josef Newgarden and EJ Viso. AJ Foyt Racing's Takuma Sato was nineteenth. AJ Foyt will not be at Pocono after undergoing hip replacement surgery. Rookie Tristan Vautier was twentieth ahead of Simona de Silvestro and Graham Rahal. Pippa Mann was twenty-third and Sebastián Saavedra rounded out the field with a time of 41.8603 seconds (215.001 MPH).
The top ten were covered by 0.5913 seconds with the top fifteenth covered by 0.6449 seconds, the top twenty covered by 0.7078 seconds and 1.1295 seconds covering the whole field.
IndyCar drivers will have 90 minutes of practice on Saturday with a one hour practice at 10 a.m. ET and a 30 minute session at 5:30 p.m. ET. IndyCar qualifying is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET. Tristan Vautier is scheduled to go out first in qualifying with heavy-hitter Marco Andretti and Scott Dixon going out third and fourth respectively. Drivers to watch out for in qualifying are James Hinchcliffe (seventh in the qualifying order), Ryan Hunter-Reay (eleventh), Helio Castroneves (twelfth), Will Power (sixteenth), Simon Pagenaud (seventeenth), Tony Kanaan (eighteenth), Dario Franchitti (nineteenth) and Ed Carpenter (twenty-first). Alex Tagliani will be the final driver to post a time.
ABC's coverage of the Pocono Indy 400, the first IndyCar race at the 2.5 mile triangle in nearly a quarter of a century, begins at noon on Sunday.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The Theorist In Me
If you are a conspiracy theorist, this post is for you.
I am normally even keel. I try not to (and I think never actually) make nonsensical, wild predictions just because I want to see something happen. Whoever, I will throw my two cents out about a subject point out that if IndyCar took advantage of a situation it could be beneficial.
With that said, when I see things happen, I do try to put piece together with something that could not have been made public yet. It's instinctual but I don't go wild throwing them out there. I keep them to myself and try to piece together why it makes sense and why it doesn't.
For example: About a month ago, I threw out the idea of IndyCar going to Charlotte Motor Speedway if Charlotte Motor Speedway is selected as host of the Summer X Games from 2014 to 2016. Now, that mostly likely won't happen but something recently came to my attention that makes me think IndyCar and the X Games could be together, except not at Charlotte.
Charlotte is one of four cities bidding for the X Games along with Chicago, Detroit and Austin. The Detroit bid is being backed by Cleveland Cavaliers owner and Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert. Quicken Loans was a presenting sponsor of the IndyCar Dual in Detroit. The potential event grounds for an X Games in Detroit has not been announced but I wouldn't rule Belle Isle out as an option.
Now here comes the theory: The Summer X Games, which is normally held in late-July/early-August, would be held at Belle Isle with IndyCar and United SportsCar Racing. Here is why: IndyCar needs an off week in June. With the sports car merger, Belle Isle could lose their race to make room for teams going to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. IndyCar might do away with doubleheaders. To keep sports cars at Belle Isle the race moves to the open gap in either July or August and there is a four day event at Belle Isle featuring X Games, sports cars and IndyCars.
Here is where that theory gets interesting: Belle Isle's move would open up the date after the Indianapolis 500. The Milwaukee Mile could move back to it's traditional date with Father's Day weekend off before the series heads to Iowa.
In my "Halfway Through 2013, Halfway to 2014" post I throw out the possibility of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series going to Road America in June with the Nationwide Series and moving the Sonoma Cup weekend to the Chase in place of Dover. Looking back on that thought, it would put the NASCAR race a month after the IndyCar race at Sonoma. Another theory: The IndyCar Sonoma race moves to early/mid-March, becomes the opening round with preseason testing leading-in to the race. With Sonoma moving to the beginning of the season, this opens the door for an IndyCar return to Laguna Seca in September due to United SportsCar Racing only needing one race weekend at Laguna Seca with IndyCar taking the vacated weekend. IndyCar tested at Sonoma February 27th this year and the temperature was described as "perfect." Now would it make any sense to go from potentially running Sonoma a month before NASCAR goes to Sonoma to running Laguna Seca two weeks before NASCAR goes to Sonoma? Seeing as there is two and a half hours between the tracks, maybe they each draw their own successful crowds but I don't know. It's just a theory.
These are just a couple thoughts that have come to mind. I have no idea what the heck is happening. I just try to see if two and two are going to make four and if I might be on to something. It's worth a shot. Oh well. If you're a conspiracy theorist, enjoy. If you're not, then you probably don't care about this post at all.
I am normally even keel. I try not to (and I think never actually) make nonsensical, wild predictions just because I want to see something happen. Whoever, I will throw my two cents out about a subject point out that if IndyCar took advantage of a situation it could be beneficial.
With that said, when I see things happen, I do try to put piece together with something that could not have been made public yet. It's instinctual but I don't go wild throwing them out there. I keep them to myself and try to piece together why it makes sense and why it doesn't.
For example: About a month ago, I threw out the idea of IndyCar going to Charlotte Motor Speedway if Charlotte Motor Speedway is selected as host of the Summer X Games from 2014 to 2016. Now, that mostly likely won't happen but something recently came to my attention that makes me think IndyCar and the X Games could be together, except not at Charlotte.
Charlotte is one of four cities bidding for the X Games along with Chicago, Detroit and Austin. The Detroit bid is being backed by Cleveland Cavaliers owner and Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert. Quicken Loans was a presenting sponsor of the IndyCar Dual in Detroit. The potential event grounds for an X Games in Detroit has not been announced but I wouldn't rule Belle Isle out as an option.
Now here comes the theory: The Summer X Games, which is normally held in late-July/early-August, would be held at Belle Isle with IndyCar and United SportsCar Racing. Here is why: IndyCar needs an off week in June. With the sports car merger, Belle Isle could lose their race to make room for teams going to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. IndyCar might do away with doubleheaders. To keep sports cars at Belle Isle the race moves to the open gap in either July or August and there is a four day event at Belle Isle featuring X Games, sports cars and IndyCars.
Here is where that theory gets interesting: Belle Isle's move would open up the date after the Indianapolis 500. The Milwaukee Mile could move back to it's traditional date with Father's Day weekend off before the series heads to Iowa.
In my "Halfway Through 2013, Halfway to 2014" post I throw out the possibility of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series going to Road America in June with the Nationwide Series and moving the Sonoma Cup weekend to the Chase in place of Dover. Looking back on that thought, it would put the NASCAR race a month after the IndyCar race at Sonoma. Another theory: The IndyCar Sonoma race moves to early/mid-March, becomes the opening round with preseason testing leading-in to the race. With Sonoma moving to the beginning of the season, this opens the door for an IndyCar return to Laguna Seca in September due to United SportsCar Racing only needing one race weekend at Laguna Seca with IndyCar taking the vacated weekend. IndyCar tested at Sonoma February 27th this year and the temperature was described as "perfect." Now would it make any sense to go from potentially running Sonoma a month before NASCAR goes to Sonoma to running Laguna Seca two weeks before NASCAR goes to Sonoma? Seeing as there is two and a half hours between the tracks, maybe they each draw their own successful crowds but I don't know. It's just a theory.
These are just a couple thoughts that have come to mind. I have no idea what the heck is happening. I just try to see if two and two are going to make four and if I might be on to something. It's worth a shot. Oh well. If you're a conspiracy theorist, enjoy. If you're not, then you probably don't care about this post at all.
Track Walk: Pocono 2013
For the first time since 1989, IndyCar heads to the Poconos for four-hundred miles of racing at the 2.5 mile, three turn Pocono Raceway. James Hinchcliffe is coming off a dominating win at Iowa Speedway as Andretti Autosport heads to the Andretti family's home track. Ryan Hunter-Reay finished second at Iowa and is nine points back of Helio Castroneves for the points lead. Marco Andretti is third in points as he will compete in his first career IndyCar race in his home state of Pennsylvania. Tony Kanaan heads to the second leg of the Triple Crown with a shot at winning $250,000 and keeping his hopes alive to become the second driver to complete the Triple Crown this October at Auto Club Speedway.
The Triple Crown
If winning the Indianapolis 500 wasn't enough for Tony Kanaan, he has a shot of making even more IndyCar history in 2013. Should Kanaan win the 400-miler this weekend at Pocono and the 500-miler at Fontana in October he would become only the second driver to win the Triple Crown in IndyCar's history. Al Unser won the Indianapolis 500, the then-Pocono 500 and California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway that year and despite making IndyCar history, Unser lost the 1978 USAC Championship Car title to a winless Tom Sneva that year by one hundred and twenty-two points. Should Kanaan fail to win at Pocono, he and the Pocono race winner will head to Fontana battling for a $250,000 prize for winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown.
Aero and Tire Specifications
The tire compounds for this weekend at Pocono will feature the same left-side specifications used at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and right-side specifications used at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory aero parts include a rear mainplane of 0 > -10.5 degrees, rear mainplane profile and rear Indy wheel guards. Optional components for Pocono are side wall, trimmed side wall, rear wheel backing plate, sidepod top infill, 2/3 radiator inlet shutter, rear wing wicker and underwing strake.
History of Pocono Raceway
The track's triangle design is based off three corners from great American ovals. Fourteen degree turn one was modeled off the now-defunct Trenton Speedway which hosted fifty-five IndyCar races before closing down in 1980. Turn two is nine degrees just like the four corners of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and is the tightest of the three. Turn three is six degrees of banking just like the Milwaukee Mile where the IndyCar series raced three weeks ago.
This will be the twentieth IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway and first not scheduled for five hundred miles. The pole-sitter has won six times at Pocono with a string of four consecutive wins from 1979 to 1982. Only twice has the Pocono winner come from outside the top ten (AJ Foyt 1973 and Al Unser 1976). Twelve different drivers have won at Pocono Raceway. Of those twelve, only two did not win the Indianapolis 500 in their careers and they are 1972 winner Joe Leonard and 1983 winner Teo Fabi. AJ Foyt has the most wins at Pocono with four. Rick Mears won three times at the Tricky Triangle with Danny Sullivan and Al Unser being the only other drivers with multiple victories at Pocono Raceway. The other six winners at Pocono Raceway are Mark Donohue, Johnny Rutherford, Tom Sneva, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti and Bobby Rahal. Teo Fabi is the only foreign driver to win at Pocono Raceway. Twice has an IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway not gone the full distance and both were won by AJ Foyt. In 1975, rain ended the race after four hundred twenty-five miles and in 1981 only three hundred and five miles were completed when the race was called.
Notes:
Pocono Raceway will feature an initial three-wide start something done at past Triple Crown races. Fontana this October will also feature a three-wide start. In recent years, the Indianapolis 500 has been the only race to feature a three-wide initial start.
Ryan Briscoe will have double-duty this weekend. On Saturday, while IndyCar is practice and qualifying at Pocono, Briscoe will be competing for Level 5 Motorsports at Lime Rock Park in the American Le Mans. Briscoe will not attempt a qualifying run for Pocono and will start at the back. One hundred and sixty-one miles (a little over a three hour drive) separate Lime Rock Park and Pocono Raceway.
Pippa Mann will drive the #18 Dale Coyne Honda this weakend. She has competed in the Indianapolis 500 and Texas this season.
This will be IndyCar's first stop to the Keystone State since August 29, 2004 when the IRL went to Nazareth Speedway. Dan Wheldon won that day.
Weather forecast calls for a a high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit Saturday and a high of 84 degrees Sunday. There is a thirty percent chance of precipitation both days.
Prediction
At Indianapolis Chevrolet led 193 of 200 laps. I expect more of the same. Andretti and Penske were the top two teams all May with Ed Carpenter and Tony Kanaan playing spoilers on pole and race day respectively. I am pulling for Tony Kanaan to win and keep the Triple Crown alive but I am taking Marco Andretti. This is the fourth time in 2013 I have taken Andretti and it's really do or die for the Pennsylvanian. He needs a win to make up ground in the championship picture and with seven road and street races between Pocono and Fontana, this is his best shot to win this summer. Also, talk about a great story. Andretti winning in Pennsylvania. Honda's best shots will be the Ganassi trio of Charlie Kimball, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti with Justin Wilson, Simon Pagenaud and Takuma Sato as dark horses for the Japanese manufacture. Sleeper: Josef Newgarden.
The Triple Crown
If winning the Indianapolis 500 wasn't enough for Tony Kanaan, he has a shot of making even more IndyCar history in 2013. Should Kanaan win the 400-miler this weekend at Pocono and the 500-miler at Fontana in October he would become only the second driver to win the Triple Crown in IndyCar's history. Al Unser won the Indianapolis 500, the then-Pocono 500 and California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway that year and despite making IndyCar history, Unser lost the 1978 USAC Championship Car title to a winless Tom Sneva that year by one hundred and twenty-two points. Should Kanaan fail to win at Pocono, he and the Pocono race winner will head to Fontana battling for a $250,000 prize for winning two-thirds of the Triple Crown.
Aero and Tire Specifications
The tire compounds for this weekend at Pocono will feature the same left-side specifications used at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and right-side specifications used at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory aero parts include a rear mainplane of 0 > -10.5 degrees, rear mainplane profile and rear Indy wheel guards. Optional components for Pocono are side wall, trimmed side wall, rear wheel backing plate, sidepod top infill, 2/3 radiator inlet shutter, rear wing wicker and underwing strake.
History of Pocono Raceway
The track's triangle design is based off three corners from great American ovals. Fourteen degree turn one was modeled off the now-defunct Trenton Speedway which hosted fifty-five IndyCar races before closing down in 1980. Turn two is nine degrees just like the four corners of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and is the tightest of the three. Turn three is six degrees of banking just like the Milwaukee Mile where the IndyCar series raced three weeks ago.
This will be the twentieth IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway and first not scheduled for five hundred miles. The pole-sitter has won six times at Pocono with a string of four consecutive wins from 1979 to 1982. Only twice has the Pocono winner come from outside the top ten (AJ Foyt 1973 and Al Unser 1976). Twelve different drivers have won at Pocono Raceway. Of those twelve, only two did not win the Indianapolis 500 in their careers and they are 1972 winner Joe Leonard and 1983 winner Teo Fabi. AJ Foyt has the most wins at Pocono with four. Rick Mears won three times at the Tricky Triangle with Danny Sullivan and Al Unser being the only other drivers with multiple victories at Pocono Raceway. The other six winners at Pocono Raceway are Mark Donohue, Johnny Rutherford, Tom Sneva, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti and Bobby Rahal. Teo Fabi is the only foreign driver to win at Pocono Raceway. Twice has an IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway not gone the full distance and both were won by AJ Foyt. In 1975, rain ended the race after four hundred twenty-five miles and in 1981 only three hundred and five miles were completed when the race was called.
Notes:
Pocono Raceway will feature an initial three-wide start something done at past Triple Crown races. Fontana this October will also feature a three-wide start. In recent years, the Indianapolis 500 has been the only race to feature a three-wide initial start.
Ryan Briscoe will have double-duty this weekend. On Saturday, while IndyCar is practice and qualifying at Pocono, Briscoe will be competing for Level 5 Motorsports at Lime Rock Park in the American Le Mans. Briscoe will not attempt a qualifying run for Pocono and will start at the back. One hundred and sixty-one miles (a little over a three hour drive) separate Lime Rock Park and Pocono Raceway.
Pippa Mann will drive the #18 Dale Coyne Honda this weakend. She has competed in the Indianapolis 500 and Texas this season.
This will be IndyCar's first stop to the Keystone State since August 29, 2004 when the IRL went to Nazareth Speedway. Dan Wheldon won that day.
Weather forecast calls for a a high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit Saturday and a high of 84 degrees Sunday. There is a thirty percent chance of precipitation both days.
Prediction
At Indianapolis Chevrolet led 193 of 200 laps. I expect more of the same. Andretti and Penske were the top two teams all May with Ed Carpenter and Tony Kanaan playing spoilers on pole and race day respectively. I am pulling for Tony Kanaan to win and keep the Triple Crown alive but I am taking Marco Andretti. This is the fourth time in 2013 I have taken Andretti and it's really do or die for the Pennsylvanian. He needs a win to make up ground in the championship picture and with seven road and street races between Pocono and Fontana, this is his best shot to win this summer. Also, talk about a great story. Andretti winning in Pennsylvania. Honda's best shots will be the Ganassi trio of Charlie Kimball, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti with Justin Wilson, Simon Pagenaud and Takuma Sato as dark horses for the Japanese manufacture. Sleeper: Josef Newgarden.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Halfway Through 2013, Halfway to 2014
Six months down, six months to go. Ten races down, nine races to go. That is where IndyCar sits as Canada celebrates Canada Day and the United States just celebrates July 1st. With the back half of the IndyCar schedule remaining including a return to Pocono in six days, two more doubleheaders, two more legs of the triple crown and two, two week gaps with a full month off from Baltimore September 1st through the first practice at Houston October 4th, there is still plenty to talk about in 2013 but it seems the right time to look towards 2014.
Many look at the 2013 schedule with disgust. They are mad Milwaukee isn't the week after Indianapolis, they are mad that Iowa was head-to-head with Sonoma when it didn't have to be scheduled that way, they are mad about the long gaps in the summer, some are mad over the amount of street course and lack of ovals, some are mad there aren't enough street course and there are too many ovals. We IndyCar fans have to be the worst with unrealistic expectation and a sense of entitlement to get everything we want like spoiled suburban teenagers and I bet those at 16th and Georgetown running IndyCar just want us to shut up.
Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles will not have an easy task with the many rumors of international races, a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, trying to figure out whether doubleheaders return and his hopes of ending the season by Labor Day. Miles' first goal should be to retain every race currently on the schedule, something IndyCar has failed to do in a decade, when the IRL retained all fifteen races from 2002 for 2003 and added Motegi for a sixteen race schedule.
The current schedule has sixteen events, nineteen races due to three doubleheaders. While most drivers were not in favor with doubleheaders when they were announced, the Belle Isle weekend seemed to be a success and it appears that at least one doubleheader is likely to return for 2014. The biggest problem in 2013 was eight straight weeks at a race track from São Paulo to Iowa. On the June 25th edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, Cavin mentioned Iowa or Milwaukee moving to August, filling a undesirable gap in the schedule. There are problems with either of those races moving back that far:
1. Unless it's during the Wisconsin State Fair, moving Milwaukee to August would make fans angrier that the race is not the week after Indianapolis and it would probably kill any possibility of IndyCar returning to Road America, especially with the sports car weekend scheduled for the second weekend of August.
2. Iowa has a jam-packed schedule in the summer. NASCAR moved their first Nationwide race at the track from the Sunday after the NASCAR All-Star Race (Bump Day at the Speedway on IndyCar's schedule) to the Saturday before Pocono (Texas on the IndyCar schedule) two week before the Iowa IndyCar race. Iowa host either a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or Nationwide Series race in the three following months with the Trucks races July 13th and September 8th and the second Nationwide race August 3rd. IndyCar is no longer the only show in town at Iowa Speedway and the amount of races dilutes the market, making fans choice one race over the other. Unless Iowa drops a NASCAR race or two, IndyCar should keep it's ground in late June.
Returning Milwaukee to it's traditional date the week of the Indianapolis 500 isn't as simple as flipping it with Belle Isle. NASCAR is at Michigan International Speedway Father's Day weekend and it makes no business sense to move Belle Isle any closer to Father's Day than it is now. With United SportsCar Racing uniting sports car racing in the United States in 2014, Belle Isle could be losing it's sports car race. This year the Belle Isle Grand-Am race was the same weekend as the Le Mans test day. Next year, Father's Day is the same weekend as Le Mans making any idea of a Belle Isle-Milwaukee swap even less likely. Could Belle Isle move to fill the August gap and potentially keep it's sports car race? Maybe but that has not been mentioned as an option.
Road America has expressed interest in IndyCar returning but we have been waiting for Road America to return since reunification. However, Road America president George Bruggenthies has mentioned the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series joining the Nationwide Series at the track. The Nationwide Series runs the same weekend as NASCAR at Sonoma but this could open the door for Sonoma becoming a Chase race. If Sonoma were to enter the Chase it would probably take the Dover date, one of three tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule not owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation and a track that has struggled to draw a crowd the last five years. Could Road America run separate, successful NASCAR and IndyCar weekends? That could be a problem.
One race to keep a close eye on for not only 2014 but 2015 is Toronto. The race has seen the all-time highs during the CART-era and the all-time lows after losing 2008 due to the merger and having to try and rebuild the once great Canadian date. Should Toronto keep the same date on the schedule for next year the race would be the same date as the FIFA World Cup Final. Though IndyCar's international footprint is not as large as it once was and the global game of football is not on top the totem pole in North America, you CANNOT go head-to-head with the biggest sporting event in the world. The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final earned an 8.1 on ABC and I only expect that number to go up in 2014. Putting a race head-to-head would be SUICIDE! However, moving the Toronto doubleheader a week back is not an option either. The current American Le Mans Series date at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly known as Mosport) is the week after Toronto and I have a feeling United SportsCar Racing will keep a race in Canada and will go to Mosport especially after all the upgrades that have been made by the new owners led by two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner Ron Fellows. However, IndyCar could work out a sweetheart deal for Toronto in 2014. The 2014 FIFA World Cup Final begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on July 13, 2014. If it's still a doubleheader, IndyCar should lobby for the Sunday race at Toronto to be at noon on ABC and lead-in to the pre-game for the World Cup Final. Hell turn the paddock at Toronto into a giant World Cup viewing party post race with drivers on hand. The Saturday race could lead-in to the third place game at the World Cup as well. It could benefit IndyCar to lead-in to an event that will be watched by nearly ten million people in the United States and IndyCar should capitalize on the opportunity.
However, 2014 could be it for IndyCar on the streets of Toronto, leaving IndyCar with out a Canadian race in 2015. The 2015 Pan American Games will be held July 10-July 26 in Toronto and will use three venues within Exhibition Center. Could the IndyCar race just be pushed to after the games? Yes but seeing as how attendance has dwindled down since 2009, IndyCar needs really turn it around in 2013 and 2014. IndyCar can't take a sabbatical and not go to Toronto in 2015, that would kill the event once and for all but it could be dead after 2014, the final year of the deal with Green Savoree Racing Promotions. What would that mean for IndyCar in Canada? Could they return to Mosport and run a doubleheader with sports cars? What about the yet to be constructed oval, Canadian Motor Speedway in Fort Erie? Who knows. IndyCar has raced in four of the six Canadian cities with populations over 1,000,000 people (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Edmonton. The only two they haven't been to are Ottawa and Calgary.) and three great permanent Canadian facilities (Mosport, Mont-Tremblant and Sanair). The rumors of a street race in Québec City have died down and IndyCar has to stay in Canada. There is a great Canadian fan base that has supported the likes of Tracy, Villeneuve, Moore, Carpentier, Goodyear and now support Hinchcliffe and Tagliani and it is not the fan bases fault IndyCar has struggled to retain races in Canada. IndyCar needs to secure a home in Toronto long-term or find a permanent facility willing to do so.
International races have been mentioned as opening up the 2014 season at an earlier date with many believing São Paulo could lead the way but moving São Paulo is much easier said than done. The sambadrome which is used as the front straightaway for IndyCar is the main drag for the Carnival parades in São Paulo. Carnival takes place the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 5th in 2014 and needs it's own time for preparations. Could IndyCar run two and a half weeks prior on February 16th and there still be enough time for Carnival to be set up? I don't know and that is why the IndyCar race in Brazil was pushed to late April/early May because it is a time of year that will never conflict with Carnival. As for other international race, there hasn't been any strong rumors about any where and instead of speculating and listing place after place, we will leave it at that.
To come and think of it, there has been no strong rumors about any new races in 2014. Yes, Road America has been mentioned and everyone throws out Phoenix but there has been no reports of strong, progressive talks between the tracks and IndyCar. Fort Lauderdale talks have been quiet since last fall but it's still out there as a possible venue.
Mark Miles has mentioned ending the season by Labor Day and with Houston and Fontana in October, that doesn't make his job any easier. Many say just move Houston to March. Well the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will take place from March 4th-23rd in 2014 and they use the whole Reliant Park where the IndyCar race takes place. Trust me, there is no room for an IndyCar race during the whole three weeks of the Livestock Show and Rodeo and they aren't going to make room for IndyCar. They're doing just fine and have been for over eighty years. Fontana was September 15th in 2012 and it was hot. Fontana is a great place for the season finale, I just hope they keep the dates consistent and keep Houston and Fontana in October.
As mentioned above, IndyCar must focus of retaining all sixteen events for 2014. Maybe push Iowa back a week to give the teams a much deserved week off and so it's not head-to-head with NASCAR at Sonoma and scheduled for an open Sunday when NASCAR is scheduled for Saturday night at Kentucky. As I said before, if you are going to race Toronto the same weekend as the FIFA World Cup Final, get it on ABC and be a lead-in. Don't end by Labor Day. You can't race for seven months from March to October and then race for seven months from to February to September and say IndyCar has expanded there schedule. That's just moronic. IndyCar needs to be out there at least eight, if not nine months of the year.
What do we know about 2014? The Indianapolis 500 will be Memorial Day weekend. Long Beach will be April 13th, the same day as the final day of The Masters but they were in a catch-22. April 20th is Easter and races on Easter have never done well. April 13th was the right date to choose. As for the rest of 2014, it's up in the air. Who knows what will happen but we are half way there.
Many look at the 2013 schedule with disgust. They are mad Milwaukee isn't the week after Indianapolis, they are mad that Iowa was head-to-head with Sonoma when it didn't have to be scheduled that way, they are mad about the long gaps in the summer, some are mad over the amount of street course and lack of ovals, some are mad there aren't enough street course and there are too many ovals. We IndyCar fans have to be the worst with unrealistic expectation and a sense of entitlement to get everything we want like spoiled suburban teenagers and I bet those at 16th and Georgetown running IndyCar just want us to shut up.
Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles will not have an easy task with the many rumors of international races, a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, trying to figure out whether doubleheaders return and his hopes of ending the season by Labor Day. Miles' first goal should be to retain every race currently on the schedule, something IndyCar has failed to do in a decade, when the IRL retained all fifteen races from 2002 for 2003 and added Motegi for a sixteen race schedule.
The current schedule has sixteen events, nineteen races due to three doubleheaders. While most drivers were not in favor with doubleheaders when they were announced, the Belle Isle weekend seemed to be a success and it appears that at least one doubleheader is likely to return for 2014. The biggest problem in 2013 was eight straight weeks at a race track from São Paulo to Iowa. On the June 25th edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, Cavin mentioned Iowa or Milwaukee moving to August, filling a undesirable gap in the schedule. There are problems with either of those races moving back that far:
1. Unless it's during the Wisconsin State Fair, moving Milwaukee to August would make fans angrier that the race is not the week after Indianapolis and it would probably kill any possibility of IndyCar returning to Road America, especially with the sports car weekend scheduled for the second weekend of August.
2. Iowa has a jam-packed schedule in the summer. NASCAR moved their first Nationwide race at the track from the Sunday after the NASCAR All-Star Race (Bump Day at the Speedway on IndyCar's schedule) to the Saturday before Pocono (Texas on the IndyCar schedule) two week before the Iowa IndyCar race. Iowa host either a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or Nationwide Series race in the three following months with the Trucks races July 13th and September 8th and the second Nationwide race August 3rd. IndyCar is no longer the only show in town at Iowa Speedway and the amount of races dilutes the market, making fans choice one race over the other. Unless Iowa drops a NASCAR race or two, IndyCar should keep it's ground in late June.
Returning Milwaukee to it's traditional date the week of the Indianapolis 500 isn't as simple as flipping it with Belle Isle. NASCAR is at Michigan International Speedway Father's Day weekend and it makes no business sense to move Belle Isle any closer to Father's Day than it is now. With United SportsCar Racing uniting sports car racing in the United States in 2014, Belle Isle could be losing it's sports car race. This year the Belle Isle Grand-Am race was the same weekend as the Le Mans test day. Next year, Father's Day is the same weekend as Le Mans making any idea of a Belle Isle-Milwaukee swap even less likely. Could Belle Isle move to fill the August gap and potentially keep it's sports car race? Maybe but that has not been mentioned as an option.
Road America has expressed interest in IndyCar returning but we have been waiting for Road America to return since reunification. However, Road America president George Bruggenthies has mentioned the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series joining the Nationwide Series at the track. The Nationwide Series runs the same weekend as NASCAR at Sonoma but this could open the door for Sonoma becoming a Chase race. If Sonoma were to enter the Chase it would probably take the Dover date, one of three tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule not owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation and a track that has struggled to draw a crowd the last five years. Could Road America run separate, successful NASCAR and IndyCar weekends? That could be a problem.
One race to keep a close eye on for not only 2014 but 2015 is Toronto. The race has seen the all-time highs during the CART-era and the all-time lows after losing 2008 due to the merger and having to try and rebuild the once great Canadian date. Should Toronto keep the same date on the schedule for next year the race would be the same date as the FIFA World Cup Final. Though IndyCar's international footprint is not as large as it once was and the global game of football is not on top the totem pole in North America, you CANNOT go head-to-head with the biggest sporting event in the world. The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final earned an 8.1 on ABC and I only expect that number to go up in 2014. Putting a race head-to-head would be SUICIDE! However, moving the Toronto doubleheader a week back is not an option either. The current American Le Mans Series date at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly known as Mosport) is the week after Toronto and I have a feeling United SportsCar Racing will keep a race in Canada and will go to Mosport especially after all the upgrades that have been made by the new owners led by two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner Ron Fellows. However, IndyCar could work out a sweetheart deal for Toronto in 2014. The 2014 FIFA World Cup Final begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on July 13, 2014. If it's still a doubleheader, IndyCar should lobby for the Sunday race at Toronto to be at noon on ABC and lead-in to the pre-game for the World Cup Final. Hell turn the paddock at Toronto into a giant World Cup viewing party post race with drivers on hand. The Saturday race could lead-in to the third place game at the World Cup as well. It could benefit IndyCar to lead-in to an event that will be watched by nearly ten million people in the United States and IndyCar should capitalize on the opportunity.
However, 2014 could be it for IndyCar on the streets of Toronto, leaving IndyCar with out a Canadian race in 2015. The 2015 Pan American Games will be held July 10-July 26 in Toronto and will use three venues within Exhibition Center. Could the IndyCar race just be pushed to after the games? Yes but seeing as how attendance has dwindled down since 2009, IndyCar needs really turn it around in 2013 and 2014. IndyCar can't take a sabbatical and not go to Toronto in 2015, that would kill the event once and for all but it could be dead after 2014, the final year of the deal with Green Savoree Racing Promotions. What would that mean for IndyCar in Canada? Could they return to Mosport and run a doubleheader with sports cars? What about the yet to be constructed oval, Canadian Motor Speedway in Fort Erie? Who knows. IndyCar has raced in four of the six Canadian cities with populations over 1,000,000 people (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Edmonton. The only two they haven't been to are Ottawa and Calgary.) and three great permanent Canadian facilities (Mosport, Mont-Tremblant and Sanair). The rumors of a street race in Québec City have died down and IndyCar has to stay in Canada. There is a great Canadian fan base that has supported the likes of Tracy, Villeneuve, Moore, Carpentier, Goodyear and now support Hinchcliffe and Tagliani and it is not the fan bases fault IndyCar has struggled to retain races in Canada. IndyCar needs to secure a home in Toronto long-term or find a permanent facility willing to do so.
International races have been mentioned as opening up the 2014 season at an earlier date with many believing São Paulo could lead the way but moving São Paulo is much easier said than done. The sambadrome which is used as the front straightaway for IndyCar is the main drag for the Carnival parades in São Paulo. Carnival takes place the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 5th in 2014 and needs it's own time for preparations. Could IndyCar run two and a half weeks prior on February 16th and there still be enough time for Carnival to be set up? I don't know and that is why the IndyCar race in Brazil was pushed to late April/early May because it is a time of year that will never conflict with Carnival. As for other international race, there hasn't been any strong rumors about any where and instead of speculating and listing place after place, we will leave it at that.
To come and think of it, there has been no strong rumors about any new races in 2014. Yes, Road America has been mentioned and everyone throws out Phoenix but there has been no reports of strong, progressive talks between the tracks and IndyCar. Fort Lauderdale talks have been quiet since last fall but it's still out there as a possible venue.
Mark Miles has mentioned ending the season by Labor Day and with Houston and Fontana in October, that doesn't make his job any easier. Many say just move Houston to March. Well the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will take place from March 4th-23rd in 2014 and they use the whole Reliant Park where the IndyCar race takes place. Trust me, there is no room for an IndyCar race during the whole three weeks of the Livestock Show and Rodeo and they aren't going to make room for IndyCar. They're doing just fine and have been for over eighty years. Fontana was September 15th in 2012 and it was hot. Fontana is a great place for the season finale, I just hope they keep the dates consistent and keep Houston and Fontana in October.
As mentioned above, IndyCar must focus of retaining all sixteen events for 2014. Maybe push Iowa back a week to give the teams a much deserved week off and so it's not head-to-head with NASCAR at Sonoma and scheduled for an open Sunday when NASCAR is scheduled for Saturday night at Kentucky. As I said before, if you are going to race Toronto the same weekend as the FIFA World Cup Final, get it on ABC and be a lead-in. Don't end by Labor Day. You can't race for seven months from March to October and then race for seven months from to February to September and say IndyCar has expanded there schedule. That's just moronic. IndyCar needs to be out there at least eight, if not nine months of the year.
What do we know about 2014? The Indianapolis 500 will be Memorial Day weekend. Long Beach will be April 13th, the same day as the final day of The Masters but they were in a catch-22. April 20th is Easter and races on Easter have never done well. April 13th was the right date to choose. As for the rest of 2014, it's up in the air. Who knows what will happen but we are half way there.
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