Countdown to the Toronto Honda Indy #6: Meet The Support Series

Preparations for the IZOD IndyCar series 85 lap affair on Sunday garners the most attention, The so-called support series are also providing an almost endless choir of engine revving all over the Toronto street circuit for the 2010 Honda Indy. Below are the kinds of cars on site and ready to compete in their own rights for a valuable victory:




Firestone Indy Lights
Car Type: Open Wheel Dallara
Est. Fast Lap Times: 1 minute, 5 seconds
Est. Horsepower: 450 horsepower
Leading Canadians: James Hinchcliffe

The IZOD IndyCar Series' official support level, the Firestone Indy Lights series has grown tremendously in popularity as high-quality future open wheel stars are in the 2010 crop. With hometown hero James Hinchcliffe certain to give his Team Moore Racing #2 an important driver into Sunday's main race, Charlie Kimball and Frenchman as well as leading 2010 Indy Lights point leader J.K. Vernay will also be strong on the Toronto street course.




NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
Car Type: Stock Car
Est Fast Lap Time: 1 minute, 20 seconds
Est. Horsepower: 450-500
Leading Canadians: JR Fitzpatrick, DJ Kennington

The first time for which the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be posted on the Honda Indy weekend schedule, this is not the first time that Canada's leading stock car racing tour is competing on the Lakeshore street course.

Based on previous stock car bouts, Saturday afternoon's race will be a certified crowd pleaser as competitors have shown no apprehension to use fiberglass muscle to gain or hold position. Regular 2010 NASCAR Canadian Series drivers JR Fiztpatrick and Jim Lapcevich often show well on road and street course. However, coming from wins in NASCAR K&N Series races in the U.S., 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire champ Andrew Ranger will belt in for the round definitely operating as a ringer.





Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship
Car Type: Production-based Touring Car
Est. Fast Lap Time: 1 minute, 22 seconds
Est. Horsepower: 300 (Touring Class), 400 (Super Class)
Leading Canadians: Super Class- Nick Wittmer and Dave Ciekiewicz Touring Class: Alain Lauziere and Anthony Rapone
2009 Winner: Super Class- Greg Pootmans (2 races) Touring Class- Alain Lauziere, Anthony Rapone

Returning to the Honda Indy after a successful 2009 debut, the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship are competing in races on Saturday and Sunday with two classes of race machines. Cars campaigned in the series include Honda Civics, BMW 3-Series, Volkswagen GTis and even the Mini Cooper.




Acura Sports Car Challenge
Car Type: Production-based Sports and Touring Car
Est Fast Lap Time: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Est. Horsepower: 425-525(GT), 300-400 (GTS), 180-200 (Touring Car)
Leading Canadians: Kuno Wittmer

Adding a second production-based car class to the Honda Indy 2010 weekend has the Acura Sports Car Challenge running a 50 minute timed event on Saturday. Contrary to the Acura name being on the series, the series has a wide-range of manufacturers represented within three classes. Expect to see a strong showing for the Realtime Racing Acura TSX cars in the GTS class as well as a battle for GT led by Volvo S60s of veteran world-class road racers Andy Pligrim and Randy Pobst




SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series
Car Type- Purpose-built Sports Car
Est. Horsepower: 800
Leading Canadians: Kenny Wilden?, Greg Clifton and Blaise Caida

The Trans-Am series had actually visited the Toronto CNE grounds in previous years when Champ Car sanctioned the event. At that time, the Trans-Am series was briefly free from the long-time sanctioning by the SCCA. The standalone Trans-Am series failed in only a few short seasons but the name was revived by the SCCA. A series name which featured Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones and Canadian Ron Fellows as alumni, the 2010 Honda Indy weekend event will have Tony Ave and Tomy Drissi favoured but Kenny Wilden could spoil if he has been entered in the race.

Wade Cunningham Wins 2010 Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis

Photo Credit: Ron McQueeney


Coinciding with the final preparations of the Indy 500 at Friday's Carburetion Day, Firestone Indy Lights competitors earn the chance to claim a prized Indianapolis Motor Speedway victory with a 100 mile affair. The Firestone Freedom 100 for 2010 consisted of 16 cars and drivers (some competing on shoestring budgets) for the Indy Light series' biggest race on the 2.5 mile historic oval.

In Wednesday qualifying for the Firestone Freedom 100, English driver Pippa Mann took the pole with an average lap speed of 187.989 miles per hour. Her first Firestone Indy Lights pole, Mann became the first female driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to start 1st in an event. Unfortunately Pippa Mann's time in front didn't last long as her #11 car was bypassed early as Wade Cunningham and Charlie Kimball jetted out front.

A heartbreaking blow to a driver who had experienced a very short-lived led at Indy, Pippa Mann's 2010 Firestone Freedom 100 race would end way too early. Early jockeying for position caused Martin Plowman to force the #17 car of Jeff Simmons. Unable to keep control of his race vehicle, Simmons spin out of turn 1 on lap 3. Pippa Mann, directly behind Simmons at the time, was collected rendering her car out of competition. Mann, hardly able to work up a sweat in race after being the polesitter, was shaken mentally and physically by the accident. "I've got some pretty bruised feet, and I'm going to have a very sore neck tomorrow. I'm pretty angry, but I'm OK." Pippa Mann said following her retirement from the Firestone Freedom 100. Taking two top-5 starters out of the 40 lap event, this would be the only caution to fly through the Firestone Indy Lights race.


Photo Credit: Mike Young


While Charlie Kimball was able lead 2 laps on the day, Wade Cunningham in his #77 Sam Schmidt Racing car dominated the Firestone Freedom 100 leading all but the circuits Kimball claimed. Winning his third Freedom 100 race in 2010, Cunningham's previous Indianapolis oval wins fell on even numbered years (2006 and 2008). Though leading most of the 40 laps, New Zealand driver Cunningham credited the #23 of Kimball for "..driving a smart race and hanging back". In reality, Charlie Kimball's car was not a qualified match to the #77 of Cunningham. "The setup wasn't exactly where we wanted it to be. I ran out of tools about midway through the race." Kimball said adding praise to Wade Cunningham and his two prior victories at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Finishing third for Team Moore Racing was James Hinchcliffe who raced with a car he compared to "a rocket ship". While he was able to stay in the draft with Cunningham and Kimball, Hinchcliffe ran out of time as well as afoul of an uncooperate lapped car to cost the Canadian driver an even better finishing position. Dan Clarke and Martin Plowman rounded out the top-5 in the Firestone Freedom 100 race.

Current Firestone Indy Lights series points leader J.K. Vernay experienced a difficult race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In post race, Vernay stated that his #7 Sam Schmidt Racing machine lacked power throughout the event. Finishing 4 laps behind in 16th spot, J.K. Vernay struggles reshapes a large points lead for the Frenchman into a narrow 5 point margin over Charlie Kimball and 23 markers ahead of 3rd place in Indy Lights points James Hinchcliffe.

Canadian driver James Hinchcliffe Scores First Career Indy Lights Victory

Photo Credit: Ron McQueeney

An entree to the Sunday serving of IRL (indy Racing League) racing action at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the Firestone Indy Lights Series warmed up the California street course. Capturing the first two races of the 2010 ladder series, Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver Jean-Karl Vernay, the third round has yet to provide a challenge to the Frenchman. Sunday's Long Beach race for the Firestone Indy Lights Series would see the emergence as a potential season-long competitor.

Grabbing his second pole of the young season, 23-year old Oakville, Ontario, Canada driver James Hinchcliffe piloted his Team Moore Racing #2 car to a 1 minute, 14.6261 second lap time to claim the preferential position for the start. Previously scoring pole position at the opening Firestone Indy Lights round on the streets of St Petersburg ended with Hinchcliffe getting wrecked by Phillip Major through the race's first lap. In the Long Beach event, James Hinchcliffe avoided early race misfortune to lead flag-to-flag for his first victory in the Firestone Indy Lights in his second year of series competition.

With the race yellow flagged four times, the Hinchcliffe launched away from 2nd place finisher fellow Indy Lights tour sophomore Charlie Kimball driving for AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport. Jean-Karl Vernay missed his third-straight win of the season but retained a strong hold on the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights Series point standings. After three rounds, France's Vernay stands 28 markers over top of American driver Kimball in points.

With his previous best finish coming last year in the Mid-Ohio round, James Hinchcliffe completed his climb up the Firestone Indy Lights finishing roster. This top finish at Long Beach allows Hinchcliffe to be crowned the first Canadian driver to win in the IRL version of the open wheel support series since its formation in 2002.