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In Defense of Indycar

It has been just over a week since the tragic death of Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  It has been hard to figure out exactly how to proceed following such a tragic event without seeming disrespectful in moving on.  I think it is important to move on, but it is more important not to forget.  As a community and family, that is what Indycar has to do.

The most difficult part of the situation this past week has been hearing many uninformed “reporters” pretend to be Indycar experts.  The majority ignores all Indycar coverage but latch onto a morbid news story in an effort to sensationalize it.

Attacks on Randy Bernard have been the most difficult for me to read.  To blame the CEO of Indycar for the death of a racer would be like blaming the coach of a high school football team for the injury of a player.  Randy Bernard has my support.  He has performed admirably, and I believe there are few businessmen that could have handled the events and the task as Indycar CEO as well as he has.  Randy has been exceptional in his handling of the sport and the many nuances of it.  Indycar fans know running the circus that Indycar can be is not a task for the faint of heart.

Many people have commented on the amount of cars on the track for the race.  Let us all keep in mind that the accident started in the front of the pack and wiped out the middle of the field with a few cars running in the very rear escaping the carnage.  In this instance, if 24 cars had been on the track, the wreck would have still been huge and collected the cars running behind the initial contact.  Maybe the number involved would’ve been slightly less if fewer cars had been in the race, but the outcome would have been the same…a huge wreck.

Rookies have taken a lot of flack for being in the race.  Indycar has a process in place for rookies before they are allowed to race on ovals.  The rookies in the race have raced at other ovals in the series and have been winners in Firestone Indy Lights.  It is absurd to state that rookies shouldn’t have been allowed to race.  If they never race at tracks like Las Vegas they will never get the experience they need.  If they never gain that experience and are never allowed on the high-speed ovals…well, how will they ever learn?  Sometimes the steps up any ladder, whether it be between racing series’ or a corporate ladder, may be large, but they are steps that must be taken.

Another criticized aspect has been the speed of the cars.  It is true that 220+ is extremely fast and is very dangerous.  But, the danger does not completely reside in the speed alone but, it is how the car reacts at that speed…specifically in an accident.  If a car could run 250mph without getting airborne and into the catch fence, and the safety cell containing the driver could withstand an impact at that speed, I feel 250mph would “safe”.  Conversely, if a car was running 140mph and could get airborne easily, I would not consider 140mph safe.  For me, the entire conversation revolves around keeping the cars safely on the ground regardless of the speed in question.  Ironically, the new chassis for 2012 contains measures to help keep cars from becoming airborne when making contact.  But, only reducing the speed would just help proliferate “pack racing” which is the main reason the accident was so massive.  In the Dan Wheldon incident, the way his car hit the catch fence, I don’t believe going 20mph slower would have saved him.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway has also received criticism.  This is highly unfair because this accident could have happened at a number of different tracks the series races on and has raced on in the past.  In a broader view, 1.5 mile, high-banked ovals have been put under the microscope as being unfit for Indycar.  All 1.5 mile ovals are capable of having a safe, fast Indycar race.  Once again, analysis should turn to the cars.  The combination of identical cars with identical engines, high downforce, a tire that does not give up any grip, and low-horsepower work together to create pack racing.  Basically, sit down, floor it, and turn left until the race is over without lifting.  If downforce is reduced on the cars the drivers will have to lift in the corners.  If the car has more horsepower with lower downforce the drivers will have to lift even more in the corner.  If the tire gives up more grip over the course of a run the handling characteristics of the cars will change between pitstops.  These factors create differences in the cars helping them spread out and eliminates pack racing.  This also puts the race back in the hands of the drivers with the best set-ups and best drivers rising to the front.

Closed cockpits have also been discussed.  In looking at photos of Dan’s car as it slid down the track after making contact with the fence, it is easy to see the roll-hoop had been sheared off.  Having a closed cockpit, whether a fighter-jet style canopy or a design complete with an A-pillar, most likely wouldn’t have helped save Dan, in my opinion.  If the forces exerted on the car were enough to rip the roll-hoop off, I do not feel any type of canopy system would’ve helped.  I don’t have reams of computer data to support that statement, so that is a non-scientific assessment.  I believe that the lack of a roof actually helps save Indycar drivers from injury in many cases.  In roll-over accidents the roll-hoop does its job in protecting the drivers head when a roof may have crushed in on a driver and made extraction difficult or caused more injury from crushing into the cockpit.  In saying all of that, if evidence came out supporting the fact that closed cockpits would be safer in all instances, I would support a move to have them.

Of the more absurd accusations, the ones revolving around the $5million dollars and that affecting Dan’s driving or judgment are beyond ridiculous.  If these people paid any attention at all to the wreck, it is plainly obvious that Dan was essentially an innocent bystander.  The claim that money would have caused Dan to drive recklessly is an insult to his talent and his character.  Racecar drivers are driven by the love of the sport, not money.  If you paid them in bubblegum, most would be happy just to be in a racecar doing what they love.  Furthermore, Indycar drivers are not movie stars or NFL players.  They are not paid outrageous sums of money.  If money were a primary motivator for Indycar drivers, they would’ve bolted for NASCAR or Hollywood years ago.

Another aspect of the challenge, the fact that Dan had to start from the rear of the field, has also been criticized.  Dan made a qualifying attempt and qualified 29th of the 32 drivers that made attempts.  Dan would have started from the back of the field even if that stipulation of the challenge did not exist.  In my mind, starting from the rear of the field because of the challenge essentially had no bearing on the outcome.

With all that said, I hope this is a learning experience for all.  It has to be.  The best lessons in life are often learned through tragedy and this is no exception.  I often wonder how many other drivers may have been injured or killed if Dale Earnhardt hadn’t been involved in his fatal accident.  That is not to say that it only takes a hero dying to save others and drive change, but it is often the catalyst needed to create positive and beneficial reaction and changes.  Indycar has a bright future, and despite the darkness of the past week, the future may be brighter because of what happened.  As the old saying goes, “It is always darkest before dawn.”

Ross (@driverswanted07)

Fare Thee Well Dan Wheldon

Fare Thee Well Dan Wheldon

My first trip to an Indy Car Race will be be etched in my memory forever – but if I could change that I would.  The racing world lost a legend in front of my eyes at Las Vegas Motorspeedway.  I wanted to share some of my thoughts and perspective from that horrible day in the media center.

Let me start by saying I did not know Dan Wheldon.  I started following the Indy Car Series in the last year.  I had started my NASCAR blog and was wanting to expand coverage into other forms of racing.  Once they announced that the 2011 Series Finale would be held at my home town track – I started following Indy Car even more…. so by the time they pulled their transporters into town – I would be ready.

Q4G recently added our Indy Car blogger Ross Bynum who was also on hand for the race.  I was going to let Ross handle the “reporting” on the actual race while I was going to observe everything I could with plans of writing a story about the difference in the experience that is a NASCAR vs an Indy Car Race.

So there Ross and I sat in the press box atop Las Vegas Motor Speedway. When the wreck happened I knew in the pit of my stomach that things were bad.  At that point, they were not playing the slow motion replays on the small TV in the press box.  We were so high up above the start finish line that we couldn’t see much but smoking debris.  Even from that distance the one thing I knew…that was that the worst accident I had ever seen, in person or on TV.

When the blades of the Medivac Helicopter started up Ross and I packed up our laptops and raced through the tunnel back to the infield media center.  While this was my first Indy Car Race, I have been in many media centers in my two years covering motorsports and these rooms, while quiet, are full of energy.

The moment I walked into that room I knew instantly that everyone else had that same sick feeling in their stomach.  The energy had been sucked from the room and reporters sat wordless at their laptops.  At that point, the only updates coming from Indy Car were that Wheldon had been airlifted to UMC in Las Vegas.

I live in Vegas so I know that UMC has one of the best trauma centers in the western US – if not the entire country.. so that fact left me with some hope. Or should I say some doubt that the announcement I knew was coming would somehow be avoided.

There were no updates for almost two hours as the media sat there waiting.  Without sources, no one could tweet the rumors we were all hearing – the looks on the faces of track and Indy officials alone were enough to write the story.

I am not a “real” reporter – I do not have a degree in journalism.  Most of the time, I mainly try to make silly jokes on twitter and break down barriers with humor.  But on this day at the track I had to put on a reporters hat…. being very careful with what I was tweeting and re-tweeting….. I proceeded with caution and did the best I could in an untenable situation.

TV crews and photographers began to assemble and the technical folks began testing microphones on the media center stage…… we knew an announcement was coming.

At this point my mind started to think about the loss of Dale Sr.  To this day, whenever anyone brings up the death of Earnhardt, I don’t envision the footage of the wreck… instead the image that always pops into my mind is the moment when Mike Helton walked to the mic and in a flurry of flash bulbs said, “This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements I’ve ever personally had to make. But after the accident in Turn 4 at the end of the Daytona 500, we’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.”

So there I sat, just a few seats away from the stage where I knew that Indy Car CEO Randy Bernard was about to come into the room and make the announcement no one wanted to hear.  It was almost as if time slowed down when Bernard walked to the stage and made it official, “IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries,” Bernard said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. IndyCar, its drivers and owners, have decided to end the race. In honor of Dan Wheldon, the drivers have decided to do a five-lap salute to in his honor.”

My heart dropped but I didn’t cry… at that point I think I was running on adrenaline.  I started tweeting the quotes from Bernard and tried to help Ross anyway I could with the story he was writing about the accident.

I looked around the room and was amazed at the professionalism I saw… some reporters holding back tears were blazing away on their laptops.  This was not their first race…. they actually knew Dan and I felt like they were handling it better than me.  I can’t even begin to imagine how I would have reacted had this happened at a NASCAR race… with a driver I had known or become emotionally involved with.  It took me two days to write this….so I was really amazed at the professionalism they all showed.

Lots of questions are being asked now… was the race unsafe? are the speeds to fast?   The question we are all asking is WHY?  I think ABC’s Nightline said it best last night when they closed their Wheldon tribute piece by saying, “Sometime the question that remains unanswered is unanswerable.”
We will have plenty of time to investigate this accident…. right now we just need to remember Dan and push all of our thoughts to his family.

As the drivers made their five lap victory tribute the traditional Irish funeral dirge “Danny Boy” was played on the bagpipes…. I think it is fitting to close with some of those lyrics:

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer’s gone, and all the flowers are dying
‘Tis you, ’tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow
Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow
‘Tis I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

Indycar Heartbreak

I have had a few days to process the events that transpired on Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  I have had time to read all the tweets, see the replays, and answer questions from friends and family that knew I was at the track.  Maybe I can say what I feel like saying in the right way.

I had discussed the dangers and fear of a horrific accident with John Bisci, Las Vegas Motor Speedway PR Manager, on Saturday during the Camping World Truck Series event.  Sunday morning before the race I replayed the Kenny Brack accident at Texas Motor Speedway from 2003 to Edward Ochoa, Queers4Gears photographer, while expressing my nervousness over the possibility of such an accident during the race.  My fears unfortunately came true.  The truth is, the danger of racing is present whether it is NASCAR at Martinsville, Indycar at Indianapolis, or Hill Climbing at Pikes Peak.  Drivers understand that, they have to, and I understand that as a fan.  I know the history of racing and how quickly it can take someone’s life.  But, because of the increases in safety, we forget how unforgiving and dangerous it really is.

I’ve read comments by other drivers like Jimmie Johnson stating that Indycars should not run on ovals because it is too dangerous.  I find that absurd to be honest.  While I respect his opinion, the inherit danger that exists in racing makes it a risk no matter where you are racing or what you are driving.  Yes, the level of danger is greater in an open cockpit at 220mph, but we forget that drivers like Adam Petty were killed at speeds far less in cars with “more protection”.  A crash doesn’t have to be fast nor look violent to take a life.  I recall seeing a YouTube video of a European driver in an F1 development series getting hit in the head with a loose tire from a car that crashed.  The impact to the head killed the driver.   That is all it takes.

One thing that I must comment on is we should commend the much maligned Dallara chassis for protecting drivers as it did.  15 cars were involved in the accident with 3 of them becoming airborne.  Despite a broken and burned finger sustained by Pippa Mann and JR Hildebrand’s bruised sternum, it is amazing and commendable that there were no other serious injuries given the severity of wreck.  I for one consider what happened to Dan to be a freak incident.  The car hit the fencing in the worst possible way.  It was the intersection of multiple worst-case scenarios and unpredictable events.

It was heartbreaking to see a series and sport that I love in so much pain during a weekend that was supposed to be full of joy, champions, and the turning of a new page.  The event had been a huge hit with the fans the entire weekend and the stage was set to end a season wrought with controversy on a high note.  But, that wasn’t to be.  The last sentences in this chapter of Indycar history were underlined with tragedy.

Indycar has spent years as the red-headed stepchild of the racing world receiving little respect.  It is unfortunate it may have taken Dan’s death to bring it to light, but the drivers and the series demand respect.  The extreme speed, quality of drivers, and close competition has been overlooked far too long.  I’ve said it before but Danica, Simona, Ana, and Pippa all have balls bigger than mine for doing what they do.  It is part of the reason why I love Indycar.  It is regular people doing things I can only dream about.

I’ll admit, I have been in a funk since the accident.  I can’t really convey the surreal feeling of sitting in the media center, looking at pictures, hearing the whispers, and listening to the TV while fearing the worst possible news.  I don’t know how to express the sadness in a room of tears while Randy Bernard announced Dan’s death.  It was like being part of a bad movie.  It was a feeling I won’t soon forget and a feeling I don’t want to experience again.

While Indycar may not have gained any new fans, and it surely has gained a host of critics, one thing is for certain:  the fans stand more united than ever.  It was amazing to see strangers sharing a love of a sport coming together in tragedy.  This was evident for me as I sat in the Tropicana on Sunday night sharing a drink and stories with fellow fans…a dad and son from California, a husband and wife from Indy, and a young man that came all the way from the UK to see the event.  I want to thank Pat Caporali (@PCaporali on Twitter) for helping bring together fans at the track.  If it wasn’t for her “tweetups” I wouldn’t have met as many wonderful people over the weekend as I did.

I also want to extend my thoughts and prayers not only to Dan’s widow and children, but to Randy Bernard.  I know there are many people that do not know the series that are pointing fingers trying to lay blame on someone.  I am sure there is no one that has the best interest of the drivers in mind more than Randy.  His dedication to the sport and its success is evident.  I know he must feel the weight of the world on his shoulders, but we as fans should help shoulder the weight by supporting him and the series at a time when both need it the most.

So, with all that rambling, I want to move past this past weekend.  I don’t want to forget about Dan, but I want to forget the feeling and the images.  I hope we all use this as an experience to learn and grow and to make Indycar safer and to make positive change.  I also want to make it clear that what happened was not the fault of anyone or anything.  It wasn’t Randy’s fault for staging the race or the $5million dollar challenge.  It wasn’t the drivers that initially spun out.  It wasn’t the tracks fault.  It wasn’t because of an unsafe car.  It was simply a freak racing accident.  So, let’s remember Dan and keep him in our hearts and look towards a better day.

There’s a song by Dolly Parton called “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”.  It always makes me feel better when things look the worst.  Have a listen.  Hopefully it will make you feel a little better as well.

Ross (@driverswanted07)

Grieving as a Community: Goodbye, Dan Wheldon

This short piece was written yesterday.  Today, I am still in shock and my heart is still heavy over the loss of Dan Wheldon.  May he rest in peace.

Credit: IZOD Indycar Series Media Site

 

Days like today are the worst.  The day after.  When we’re still mourning, still grieving, still trying to understand, trying to process what we’ve witnessed.  It’s like being in a fog.  What do we do?  What do we say?  Where do we go from here?

 

The answers are out there, of course.  Plain as the noses on our faces.  But, right now, the pain is still too raw.  The loss is still too present, too heavy.  So, today we let ourselves simply feel.  The anger, the hurt, the sadness, even the numbness that comes with loss.  Yes, in the days to come the right questions with be asked and the right answers will be found.  But not today.

 

A part of who we are is gone.  Taken from us in a way that many of us witnessed and none of us will ever forget.  Gone too soon, lost to us forever.  We are left, once again, trying to find our way as a community.

 

People outside of racing may not understand and that’s okay.  The sense of family that the racing community has always had isn’t easy to grasp if you’re not a part of it.  From the outside, it surely looks strange that so many are mourning the loss of someone we didn’t know.

 

What they don’t see, that we do, is the loss of a brother.  We didn’t have to know him personally to feel the loss of him deeply.  Because he was one of us.  Racing wasn’t just what he did, it was a part of who he was.  And that part of him, that part of us, is what ultimately took him.

 

So those outside of racing don’t have to understand.  We do.  We mourn as a community and we will, over time, heal as one.

 

Our thoughts are with Susie, Sebastian, Oliver, and all of Dan Wheldon’s family.  In the days to come, we will show them just how much he meant to the racing world.  We will mourn his loss and celebrate his vibrant life.  And we will hold each other up as we work our way through the pain and sorrow.

 

He will never be forgotten.

 

Goodbye, Dan.

 

Credit: IZOD Indycar Series Media Site

Sam Schmidt Talks about Dan Wheldon and the Crash that Took his Life

Sam Schmidt addresses the media at Pole Position Raceway

On most nights, the young drivers racing carts around the Pole Position Raceway would be thrilled to see Sam Schmidt enter the building. Maybe they could show off their skills and catch the eye of the Indy Lights and Indy Car team owner.

But tonight, Schmidt came to Pole Position Raceway under much sadder circumstances… to address the media after his driver Dan Wheldon died yesterday on lap 11 of the Izod World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“It’s been an unbelievable 24 hours and I’m still in a bit of shock,” a somber Schmidt told  the assembled media. “I got to know him away from the track and to hear the love he had for his wife and family…they were always on his brain.”

Wheldon died on lap 11 of Sunday’s race, Schmidt took time to comment on news reports and comments by NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson that the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and ovals in general are not safe for safe for Indy Cars. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there have been incidents on slow corners at street courses.  Racers are racers, they are going to push the envelope wherever they are.” Schmidt added, “I don’t think you can blame the track.”

Schmidt did say that Indy Car officials will have to take a hard look at safety and do a lot of testing with the new car (Indy Car will introduce a new body and car in 2012) before the series returns to Las Vegas Motorspeedway.   Asked if Wheldon had expressed any concern over large size of the field Schmidt said, “No, he didn’t express any concern (for safety) other than there would be six or seven more cars to pass.”

“It’s difficult to find a silver lining in all of this, but he (Wheldon) was having fun. Right before he got in the car he was confident…. his last words on the radio were “”Let’s go, I’m ready to go for this thing, we can win this thing.”” Schmidt said when asked about Wheldon’s attitude before the race. “He passed 10 cars on the first 10 laps…he was having fun.”

Schmidt had only worked with and known Wheldon over the past year.  “Unlike some of the other teams, I’ve only been around him around 6 months.  But in that short time I’ve saw what an unbelievable individual Dan was. It wasn’t an act with him (Wheldon) he was very genuine.  For Dan it never got old, he would go out of his way to put a smile on a kid’s face.  People wanted to be around him.”

Schmidt said it’s been a range of emotions in the past 24 hours.  Asked if this incident would make him consider getting out of the sport, Schmidt said, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

In 2000, Schmidt became a quadriplegic due to injuries in a practice crash in Orlando Florida.  He said the parallels between he and Dan at the time he was hurt were too many. “It’s one thing to take the risk yourself and my situation, it’s something I was doing since I was 5 years old and I’m still here to watch my kids grow up. It’s an amazing parallel between Dan’s age and my age when I got hurt and the ages of his kids.  I just don’t know if I can be this tightly associated with something like that in the future.”

Indycar Las Vegas…RIP Dan Wheldon

As I sit here writing this I am sitting in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media center.  I am not a professional writer or reporter.  I am just a guy that has an 8-5 job but shares a love for a sport that I respect and enjoy.  Respect being the key word because I have seen many bad wrecks.  I witnessed the Kenny Brack crash at Texas Motor Speedway in 2003.  I even played the replay this morning to someone stating that I was nervous about the race here because I didn’t want to see something like that again.  Unfortunately, I witnessed a horrendous accident that I feared and I am sitting here with others, professionals, people paid to do this, in shock.  So, I’m sorry if I don’t do this all justice.

First of all, Michael and I made a decision to watch the race from the press box above the track.  Unfortunately, we did not have wi-fi in the press box and the amazing AT&T network was not working at all.  So, I was unable to Tweet or update anything.  The first turn of the first lap the guys were 3-wide…not the last turn of the last lap.  So, you see the precedent.  Ed Carpenter had moved into 2nd from his 3rd place starting position.  Davey Hamilton had slid back to to 32nd after starting 24th.  Will Power was running about 25th after starting 17th.  I couldn’t keep track of everything else because it was so hectic.  Think trying to do a countdown of a NASCAR race at Talladega.  Then…lap 10 happened…my race notes just said, “OH MY GOD.”

I was watching Wade Cunningham when the contact happened with James Hinchcliffe.  There was some contact…a little puff of smoke…it looked like he would save it…then all hell broke loose.  There were essentially 2 separate incidents.  There was the initial incident with Cunningham that collected some cars, and there was a 2nd incident with the cars slowing down and some cars not slowing down.  In the replays it looks like Power and Wheldon never lifted.  Insane.

Credit Gib Stoffmann

I also sit here and wonder if we really want to see a race at Fontana next year.  Do you think this track was nuts?  Do you think this racing was too easy or too fast?  Fontana will be worse.  Do we want to see that?  Do we, as fans, pass up Milwaukee and New Hampshire to see this?  Yes, it is exciting.  Yes, it is intense.  Yes, the drama is overwhelming, but is that risk ok?  Do we revile in the almost Roman Gladiator type “entertainment”.  And, the drivers know the risk.  The series knows the risk.  That is why they get paid the big bucks and they receive the stardom they do.  But, is it worth it?  Intense.  Think about it.

…and just over 2 hours since the red-flag…Randy Bernard has announced that Dan Wheldon has died from unsurvivable injury.  The race will end and the drivers will do a 5-lap salute.

Wow………

Ross

Indycar Finale Pre-Race Thoughts

Well folks, it is the season finale of the Indycar 2011 season.  As I sit in the media center, I just wanted to pass along some pre-race thoughts on today and some items to look for.

1.)  All 4 Andretti Autosport entries qualified in the Top 10.  Look for Danica to be more aggressive than usual in her last race as a full-time Indycar driver, and look for all Andretti entries to be fast.

2.)  Ed Carpenter, the race winner at Kentucky, qualified 3rd in the Sarah Fisher Racing #67.  This is the highest qualifying effort for SFR in their history.  Tomas Scheckter is starting 23rd in the #57 Angies List Special entry.  Expect to see him on the high side with bold moves early and often.

3.)  Alex Tagliani, in Dan Wheldon’s former ride, qualified in the 4th position.  Bryan Herta Autosport has shown it has what it takes to win, so look for Tagliani to stay near the front today.

4.)  After his horrible practice crash, James Jakes will be racing a pieced together car with parts donated to Dale Coyne Racing from KV Racing Technology-Lotus.  His car will look like a 4th KV entry.  Keep your eye out for any issues with this car as it has had no practice time since the accident.

5.)  Rookie Wade Cunningham finished 7th at Kentucky and qualified strong in 12th here in Las Vegas.  He has proven to be a great wheelman in Indy Lights at ovals, so expect him to race well today.  A great race could bode well for a full-time ride in 2012.

6.)  Buddy Rice will be starting in 33rd after his qualifying time was disallowed for running below the yellow line on his qualifying attempt.  Panther Racing is strong on ovals, Buddy Rice is strong on ovals, and together they finished 9th at Kentucky.  Expect Rice to move towards the front quickly.

7.)  Of course we should all watch Mr. Dan Wheldon as he vies for $5million dollars.  He has not shown much speed this weekend, so the race should be a challenge.  I know the lucky fan partnered with Wheldon that will receive $2.5million if he wins is hoping he finds speed.

8.)  3-wide?  4-wide?  It will happen, guaranteed.  Keep your fingers crossed for a safe race despite the hair-raising action.

9.)  Since this is the last race for the current Dallara, expect teams to go all out with no-holds-barred strategy and moves.  The gloves will definitely be off today.

Tune in to ABC at 3EST and 12PST for the race.  You don’t want to miss this…

Ross (@driverswanted07)

Friday: Indycar World Championship Weekend

Good morning from Las Vegas Motor Speedway!  I’m here covering the happenings on and off the track live!

Not only is this weekend Championship weekend for the series, it is also a weekend filled with a lot announcements and rumors.

Last night Las Vegas shut down the famous Strip for an Indycar exhibition parade.  Fans lined the street to see the 34 entries for this weekends finale burn rubber down the street.

Credit Tom Donoghue

Yesterday Michael Shank Racing, of the American LeMans Series, announced that they would field a full-time Indycar entry in 2012.  The announcement marked the first team to state they would be powered by Lotus next year.  Former Michael Shank Racing driver A.J. Allmendinger is partnering with MSR on the venture.  No driver or sponsor announcements have been made as of yet.  MSR is expected to run the #60.  See the official announcement here.

HVM Racing (Simona de Silvestro) team owner Keith Wiggins stated that his team would be the Lotus anchor team in 2012.  This will fuel speculation that HVM Racing will have a teammate for Simona in 2012.

Simon Pagenaud is expected to be with Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2012.  The 2011 super-sub has all but been confirmed for a full-time Honda-powered SSM ride next year.

Despite his long association with Honda, expect Dan Wheldon to announce he will head to Andretti Autosport to pilot the Chevy-powred #7 GoDaddy.com ride next year.

In the first practice on Thursday, Danica Patrick paced the field with a fast lap of 224.719.   Points leader Dario Franchitti was 9th fastest and title contender Will Power was 14th.

Stay tuned to Q4G for announcements, pics, results, and news!

Ross (@driverswanted07)

Indycar: Kentucky and Las Vegas Preview

With the 2011 IZOD Indycar Series season closing in on the last two races of the season, action on the track and in the rumor mills has heated up.  The past couple of weeks have resembled an episode of Days of Our Lives with partner swapping, deal-making, and story-lines that even Talk Soup would have a hard time covering.  But, let’s take a look at some of the major headlines rolling into the last two races of the season.

  • Kentucky and Las Vegas will be the last two races for the current Dallara/Honda chassis/engine package.  Dan Wheldon, the official 2012 Indycar development driver, has been busy ramping up on-track testing of the new car.  The Dallara faces its biggest challenge yet today (Sept. 27) through Thursday as it heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the first time for high-speed testing.

Credit Brad Kelly/IZOD Indycar Media Site

  • The 2012 car will run hot-laps before the Saturday truck race in Las Vegas.  This will be the first formal introduction of the car to fans on the track.
  • Dario Franchitti and Will Power are locked in a tough championship battle with Power only 8 points ahead of Franchitti heading into the final two races.  Despite a win at Texas earlier this season, Power does not dominate ovals as he does road and street courses.  Keep a close eye on strategy for both during the races.
  • Season finale weekend in Las Vegas will be busy to say the least.  There will be a kick-off party on Thursday evening followed by the cars parading down The Strip, there will be a charity blackjack tournament on Friday night, Indycar Nation Champion fan appreciation events, the Championship celebration will take place on Monday night, and Lupe Fiasco will perform as well.  Oh, and don’t forget there’s an Indy Lights race and the season finale that will decide the 2012 champion as well on Sunday.  WHEW!
  • Indycar is the promoter for the finale in Las Vegas.  If the event proves financially feasible and is deemed a success, Randy Bernard has stated it is possible Indycar will promote some future oval events.
  • Kentucky and Las Vegas are Danica’s last races as an Indycar driver as she heads to the NASCAR Nationwide Series full-time in 2012.  Keep an eye on her because the 1.5 mile ovals are her strongest events.  With nothing to lose, she could be a contender for a win.
  • With GoDaddy.com remaining as a sponsor, Andretti Autosport has a sponsored, open seat for the taking.  Dan Wheldon has been rumored for the ride, but his long association with Honda and Andretti Autosport’s partnership with Chevrolet next year could be a deal-breaker.  Look for the rumors to intensify in coming weeks as the Andretti’s determine whether they will have 3 or 4 cars in 2012.
  • Dan Wheldon will be vying for $5 million dollars if he can win the Las Vegas race from the rear of the field.  If he wins he will split the money with a lucky fan.   Sign up for the challenge, sponsored by GoDaddy.com, here.
  • Wheldon will be replacing Alex Tagliani in the Sam Schmidt Motorsport #77 for the final two races of the season.  Keep in mind this is the car that sat on the pole for the Indianapolis 500 and the first Firestone 275 at Texas.  Rumors state that Tagliani will be in the Bryan Herta Autosport ride in Las Vegas.  Remember that SSM and BHA teamed up in Indy and Bryan Herta has stated the two teams could form a partnership in 2012 if neither team has funding for a second car next year.  The Wheldon/Tagliani swap could be an indication of what is to come in 2012.
  • Speaking of Sam Schmidt Motorsport, the organization has been the “pimp” team of 2011 for any driver bringing money to the table for a ride.  Drivers have included Townsend Bell, Wade Cunningham, Martin Plowman, Hideki Mutoh, and now Dan Wheldon.  SSM has also had partnerships with AFS Racing, Bryan Herta Autosport, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.  It will be interesting to see if any of these endeavors prove fruitful for a full-time 2012 ride.
  • Wade Cunningham will be making his 2nd and 3rd starts for Sam Schmidt Motorsports/AFS Racing at Kentucky and Las Vegas.  The rookie will be looking to improve upon his results at the Firestone Twin 275’s when he was tangled in an accident with Charlie Kimball in the first race.  Cunningham will pilot the #17 despite running the #99 in the Texas events.
  • Buddy Rice will be in the Panther Racing #44 sponsored by Fuzzy’s Vodka for Kentucky and Las Vegas.  Panther has stated interest in fielding a 2nd full-time entry in 2012 if they have the additional funding.  Rice’s performance in the final two races of the season could prove pivotal for next year.  Also, look for Panther Racing to announce partnership with Chevrolet for next year very soon.
  • Pippa Mann returns to action with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the final races of the season after suffering from fractured vertebrae as a result of a practice crash at New Hampshire.  Performance in these races will be key to her quest for a full-time ride in 2012.
  • Jay Howard will return to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at Las Vegas for  his 3rd start of the season, although it will be his first in the #15 as his first two starts were in the #88 in partnership with Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
  • Tomas Scheckter announced he will be piloting the #57 Angies List Special for Sarah Fisher Racing in Las Vegas.  Earlier this season, SFR was very quick at Indy and Texas and has a past history of being very fast at 1.5 mile ovals.  With Scheckter’s knack for the 1.5 mile ovals as well, look for the #57 to be very strong.  Once again, a great showing at Vegas is important as Scheckter is seeking a full-time ride in 2012 and SFR is seeking funding for a 2nd entry in 2012.
  • Serving as the replacement for injured Justin Wilson, Townsend Bell will be in the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing #22 for the final two races.  It will be interesting to see how well Bell performs as his last non-Indianapolis 500 Indycar start was in 2008.
  • 49 year-old Davey Hamilton will make his 3rd start in the HP #11 for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing at Las Vegas.  Hamilton has qualified well in his previous two starts this season, but race performance has been lacking.
  • Following sponsorship issues, rookie Sebastian Saavedra was ousted from the #34 Conquest Racing ride at Motegi.  Conquest tested rookie Dillon Battistini at Kentucky last week and he should make his first start there.  However, Saavedra has been rumored to return to the ride for Vegas.  It will be interesting to watch how the off-season unfolds for Conquest and their plans for next year.

It is important to note that the Las Vegas finale is still 3 weeks away.  There is a possibility of more entries into the race being announced.  With teams having no use for the current chassis after the race and if anyone can bring sponsorship to the table, the field at Vegas will most likely be the largest starting grid in Indycar history…more than the 33 at Indianapolis.  One thing is for certain, the race at Kentucky and the Las Vegas finale are races you will not want to miss!

Ross (@driverswanted07)

Dan Wheldon and the $5 Million Dollar Challenge

For the official Indycar announcement with full details, head to this link at Indycar.com.

Almost 7 months since the February 22 announcement that 5  non-Indycar drivers would  have the chance to compete for $5 million dollars in the Las Vegas Indycar finale, it was announced today that the lucky drivers will be………Dan Wheldon!  Wait, what?  That’s it…just Wheldon?  That’s not what was supposed to happen!

Obviously, the plan didn’t turn out quite like Indycar CEO Randy Bernard had hoped.  After receiving a couple-dozen driver applications for the challenge, only 3 names were big enough to possibly move the needle of public interest:  Alex Zanardi, Kasey Kahne, and Travis Pastrana.  Pastrana injured himself in an X-Games stunt wipeout that ended his chance to compete, and the top 2 teams in Indycar, Ganassi and Penske, weren’t interested in fielding entries for Kahne and Zanardi while fighting for the Indycar championship.

With the collapse of the original challenge, Bernard had to institute a Plan B.  The GoDaddy Indycar Challenge will pit Indianapolis 500 winner Wheldon against the rest of the field.  If he wins the race, he receives a $5 million prize that will be split between him and one lucky fan.  The biggest caveat is that Wheldon has to start from the rear of the field.  Depending upon the size of the field at Las Vegas, he could start anywhere from 30th to 34th.  If anyone could accomplish the feat, it’s Wheldon.

Indycar fans like Wheldon and seem genuinely interested in the challenge.  I think that is a great Plan B.  This will add to the drama of the race and provide a race-within-a-race.  But, wasn’t the point of the challenge to bring in interest outside of Indycar?  Will anyone outside of Indycar pay attention to the race more than they would have otherwise?  I’m not sure the Wheldon plan will do it, and it seems a little late in the game for a media blitz to draw much outside interest.

In a sense, it may have made for better PR to have Randy Bernard say, “We offered up $5 million bucks to see if any of the toughest, fastest drivers in the world could beat our guys and girls, and only 3 drivers of high enough caliber would even consider it…and they wouldn’t sign on the dotted line to do it.  The world wouldn’t ATTEMPT to run at 215+ mph against our drivers.”  I think that would be a pretty big, bold statement.  Now, I understand a lot played into the decisions for some drivers not to compete.  F1 drivers are racing in Korea that weekend so travel would’ve been an issue.  NASCAR drivers will be fighting for the championship themselves and, I’m sure, have contractual details and obligations that would keep them out of an Indycar.

The race, regardless of the challenge, should be a thriller as Indycar rarely disappoints on the big ovals.  I will be at the track to witness it all first hand with Queers4Gears, and I hope Wheldon takes the boys and girls to school.  Plus, the best part of the weekend is that it is the last race for the current Dallara chassis and V-8 engines.  I don’t think there is one Indycar fan that will be sad to see the current combo go.  And who knows, if Wheldon wins the race it could be YOU that ends up with an extra $2.5 million in your pocket.  All I ask is that you buy me something nice.

Ross (@driverswanted07)