NASCAR’s Unique and Forgotten Racing Divisions: Speedway Division

1952 Photo of Buck Baker and his #87 Penny Mullis Cadillac Special (ISC Archives/NASCAR Media)

Years of Competition: 1952-1953 

Notable Drivers: Buck Baker, Jack Smith, Ralph Liguori

Staging competition on race tracks, NASCAR was competing in a battle of its own at the points of its formation. Holding motorsport events since 1902, AAA (American Automobile Association) possessed a prestigious position of sanctioning many popular auto racing events in United States until 1955 from cross-country runs to closed circuit events for open wheel roadsters and stock cars. The crown jewel of AAA’s influence in motor racing competition was their role with the Indianapolis 500.  

Announced November 10th of 1951, the NASCAR Speedway Division was described in the 1953 NASCAR Record Book as a response to competitors “who wished to test their skills in the big cars”. Although NASCAR’s history is rich with competition among modified category vehicles (a race car type that could be described as open wheel), the Speedway Division featured machines using older Indianapolis-style race car chassis with some boasting past Indianapolis 500 linage. Speedway cars were powered by production car-based engines to keep the sport more economical. Cadillac, Ford, Mercury, Hudson and GMC truck engines were among the powerplants installed in the vehicles.

The auto racing public got their first taste of the NASCAR Speedway Division at Daytona Beach in February of 1952. Part of the year’s Speed Week program, Speedway vehicles competed in one-mile runs down the beach course. At the end of three days of runs, Buck Baker took the $1,000 grand prize prevailing in the showdown on February 8th. Baker’s 140.41-miles per hour average speed in his Cadillac-propelled Wetteroth beat Fireball Roberts who drove a Ford-powered machine. 

Image from NASCAR Program of Speedway Cars at 1952 Daytona Beach Speed Week

The first proper race for the 1952 NASCAR Speedway Division took place at Darlington Raceway. In the 200-mile event consisting of 19 cars and resulting in 15 lead changes, Buck Baker won the contest with a four-lap lead. The Darlington Raceway event would be the only paved oval event during the 1952 campaign. While the Indianapolis-style cars attracted crowds throughout the 1952 Speedway Division campaign, the fields were comparatively smaller to the stock car racing tours.

A total of seven races made up the inaugural season for the series with Buck Baker carrying on early momentum to take the year’s title. The Speedway Division provided crucial success for the young Baker who was still chasing a first victory in NASCAR’s Modified or Grand National series prior to 1952. Going on to named to being one of NASCAR’s 50th Greatest Drivers in 1998 (alongside his Daytona 500-winning son Buddy), Buck Baker’s career including two championship in what is currently the Cup Series.

Image from NASCAR Program of Sam Waldrop and his Hudson Special at 1952 Daytona Beach Speed Week 

Although the first year of the NASCAR Speedway Division appeared to show some promise, a number of issues almost immediately started to cripple the tour. The 1952 season was cut short due to a steel strike as well as an extremely hot summer that cancelled races past June. The NASCAR Speedway Division returned for the 1953 season but the future prospects for the tour was threatened. Not including a second visit to Daytona Speed Week where Buck Baker defended his speed trial win, only four events would be held for the tour.

Sprint car driver Pete Allen won the 1953 Speedway Division championship by a three-point margin. Runner-up in the points standing was Ralph Liguori, prolific driver with an astonishingly long racing career that included competition in multiple USAC divisions and would retire in 2008 at the age of 70. Allen also won what turned out to be the final race at Champion Speedway located in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

While the Speedway Division concluded operations, NASCAR to continue to explore the territory of AAA/USAC competition with the Midget series starting in 1953.

References:

NASCAR

Rumblin Ragtops: The History of NASCAR's Fabulous Convertible Division by Greg Fielden

The Evolution of NASCAR: A Historical Collection by Deb Williams

When NASCAR Started Their Own Indy Car Series: The Speedway Division

www.ultimateracinghistory.com

Before Indy 500 Pole Day: Fastest in Brickyard Practice

Photo Credit: INDYCAR/LAT USA

For the past week, open wheel racing drivers and teams have been lapping the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in order to find the key to winning the 96th Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day Sunday.

This year's Indy 500 practice was more important than it has been in years at the 2.5-mile speedway oval with brand new Dallara DW12 chassis race cars and turbocharged engines set for their first Month of May. Through the course of the week, average speeds at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway crept over 223 miles per hour. Slower than the 2011 cars, there was some disappointment that the 2012 contenders at the track were not up to the same pace as last year. For "Fast Friday" practice, the INDYCAR sanctioning body permitted teams to increase the turbo boost pressure by 10 kPa which allowed the V-6 engines to produce around 40 horsepower extra.

Photo Credit: INDYCAR/LAT USA

Because of the additional power, 32 of the 33 active drivers in practice posted their best track times for the Friday practice session. For what proved to be the highest speeds recorded at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the fastest one-lap run was posted by Andretti Autosport driver Marco Andretti. Jetting around the 2.5-mile oval in 39.5535 seconds, Andretti's "Fast Friday" effort equates to an average speed of 227.540 miles per hour. Over a tenth of a second slower than the #26 of Marco Andretti, Team Penske's #2 car of Ryan Briscoe recorded a 226.835-mile per hour average speed. With Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay behind Briscoe on the time sheet, the the top-four fastest times were all set by Chevrolet-powered cars. In the entire top-10, Chevrolet's surge for Indy 500 Pole Day success is solidifed by the 8 IZOD INDYCAR DW12 Dallaras powered by the Bowtie brand.  

The leading Honda-engined car after "Fast Friday" is the #9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car driven by Scott Dixon who posted a 226.224-mile per hour speed around the 2.5-mile oval. Dixon's teammate Dario Franchitti was the second Honda runner in the top-10 placing 9th fastest on Friday.

For the first time since 2005, the Indy 500 will be contended by more than a single engine brand. With Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus supplying powerplants for the 2012 Indy 500 race, the week preparing for Pole Day resulted in Chevrolet and Honda strengthening their numbers as a result of the ailing situations with Lotus' INDYCAR program. On Wednesday, Dragon Racing was finally approved to install Chevrolet engines into their team cars driven by Sebastien Bourdais and Katherine Legge. The engine politics played havoc with Legge's Rookie Orientation. The two remaining Lotus engined Dallara DW12 race cars are buried at the bottom time chart. Nudging a lap above 213 miles per hour, former Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi was 2.5 seconds slower than Marco Andretti's fastest time. The slowest driver over the course of 7 practice sessions was Simona de Silvestro who is still struggling to find speed with he HVM Racing team during the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR Series season.

Photo Credit: INDYCAR/LAT USA

Indy 500 Pole Day is set for tomorrow with a qualifying draw settling the order that cars position themselves for a four-lap time trial run. Saturday's qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will determine the top 24 spots of the 2012 Memorial Day race. Consisting of two segments, the top nine fastest cars on Saturday will advance to a final qualifying session.

The following list of speeds at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the top runs of the 33 drivers at the track. It is not unusual that additional competitors may be posting times either on Saturday's Pole Day or Sunday's Bump Day.



Indianapolis 500 Pre-Pole Day Practice Times

1	26	Marco Andretti	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet	227.540
2	2	Ryan Briscoe	Team Penske	Chevrolet	226.835
3	3	Helio Castroneves	Team Penske	Chevrolet	226.716
4	28	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet	226.400
5	9	Scott Dixon	Target/Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda	226.224
6	27	James Hinchcliffe	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet	225.974
7	25	Ana Beatriz	Andretti Autosport/Conquest Racing	Chevrolet	225.653
8	4	JR Hildebrand	Panther Racing	Chevrolet	225.571
9	50	Dario Franchitti	Target/Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda	225.370
10	11	Tony Kanaan	KV Racing Technology	Chevrolet	225.322
11	12	Will Power	Team Penske	Chevrolet	225.288
12	5	EJ Viso	KV Racing Technology	Chevrolet	225.137
13	67	Josef Newgarden	Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing	Honda	225.021
14	83	Charlie Kimball	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda	224.964
15	19	James Jakes	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda	224.960
16	20	Ed Carpenter	Ed Carpenter Racing	Chevrolet	224.946
17	15	Takuma Sato	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	Honda	224.825
18	38	Graham Rahal	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda	224.789
19	17	Sebastian Saavedra	AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet	224.661
20	14	Mike Conway	AJ Foyt Enterprises	Honda	224.333
21	8	Rubens Barrichello	KV Racing Technology	Chevrolet	224.272
22	18	Justin Wilson	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda	224.258
23	39	Bryan Clauson	Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing	Honda	224.224
24	98	Alex Tagliani	Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian	Honda	223.576
25	41	Wade Cunningham	AJ Foyt Enterprises	Honda	222.898
26	77	Simon Pagenaud	Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports	Honda	222.736
27	99	Townsend Bell	Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports	Honda	221.738
28	30	Michel Jourdain Jr	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	Honda	221.396
29	7	Sebastien Bourdais	Lotus-Dragon Racing	Chevrolet	221.191
30	22	Oriol Servia	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing	Chevrolet	220.643
31	6	Katherine Legge	Lotus-Dragon Racing	Chevrolet	219.430
32	64	Jean Alesi	Lotus – FP Journe – Fan Force United	Lotus	213.423
33	78	Simona de Silvestro	Lotus-HVM Racing	Lotus	212.516

 

Timothy Peters spins and wins at Lucas Oil Raceway

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

By Jim Pedley
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(July 29, 2011)

CLERMONT, Ind.—A flat tire turned out to be one of the biggest breaks of Camping World Truck Series driver Timothy Peters’ career.

That flat tire occurred just before the halfway point in Friday night’s AAA Insurance 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway. It put him off cycle in terms of pit stops, allowed his crew to improve his truck and paved the way for Peters to take the lead with six laps to go.

Once in the lead, Peters went on to get his first victory of the season and third of his career.

"That’s what saved our night right there," Peters said.

The truck he passed with six laps to go belonged to James Buescher, who led from just past the halfway point until being overtaken by Peters.

Buescher, 21, was going for the first victory of his career in his 60th start.

"It’s definitely frustrating when you lose the lead that late," said Buescher, who led a race-high 97 laps. "Can’t get any closer to a win than that. But we had nothing for him."

David Starr was third, his first top five since October 2009 at Talladega. Rookie Miguel Paludo finished fourth, and Ron Hornaday Jr. was fifth.

Rounding out the top 10 were Matt Crafton, rookies Joey Coulter and Cole Whitt, polesitter Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain, who was making his first start.

Coulter was the last car on the lead lap as the final 107 of 200 laps were run under green. The race set a record for fewest cautions—four—for a truck race at the .686-mile track. The second caution, for 17 of the 28 laps run under yellow, was because of rain.

Peters’ fateful flat occurred just before he made contact with Steve Arpin. Peters said he didn’t even realize he had cut the tire until much later.

During the ensuing pit stop, crew chief Butch Hylton and his crew went to work with a series of adjustments to the track bar and tire pressures. Peters’ Toyota Tundra, which was slow off the truck Friday morning, came alive.

Points leader Johnny Sauter also suffered a cut tire, but he finished 23rd. He also damaged a track bar. Before those troubles, Sauter, who started the race leading the standings by 18 points over Dillon, had led 44 laps and appeared to be the driver to beat.

Dillon led 36 laps and closed to four points of Sauter. He also closed in on a postrace confrontation with Todd Bodine. The two tangled late in the race, and Dillon didn’t like it. He blocked Bodine’s way on pit road after the cool-down laps.

Bodine, who finished 12th, took the blame for the incident and apologized.

"I thought I was clear (of Dillon)," Bodine said. "Austin is the last person in the world I would do that to."

Wheldon Wins in Spectacular 2011 Indy 500 Finish





The 100th year of the Indianapolis 500 had existed as a massive celebration ongoing since the conclusion of the 2010 event. Since a yellow Marmon Wasp circulated a brick-paved race track

One of the most prestigious auto races in the entire world, the Indianapolis 500 has risen from a 200 lap torture test around a 2.5 mile oval paved with bricks to a 230-plus mile per hour sprint. First run 100 years ago in 1911, the race instantly became known as a fusion of speed and endurance. Competitors in the inaugural event, and for the races that have followed, knew that the 200 laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a scene where magic can happen.



Earning the pole through a stunning effort on Indy 500 Pole Day eight days prior, Alex Tagliani received the benefit of starting in front of the 33-car field. However, before any racing was set to start, 4-time Indy 500 champion AJ Foyt proudly accepted the honour of driving the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible pace car. Giving the drivers one last moment of relative calm before the start of the 2011 Indianapolis 500, Foyt ducked into pit road just seconds before the timely green flag dropped on the 95th running of the iconic open wheel race.

While Alex Tagliani was on pole position, Target-Chip Ganassi Racing's #9 car of Scott Dixon nailed the race start perfectly taking the lead by the first turn. Falling back to third behind Oriol Servia at the beginning of the 500-mile event, it seemed the magic that carried Tagliani and the #77 Sam Schmidt Racing Dallara-Honda to the front of the time sheet in qualifying had dissipated. However, eight laps later, after letting Dixon get the better of him on the start, Tagliani out-dragged the Target car down the Indianpolis start/finish line taking the lead back. The #77 Bower & Wilkins car in the hands of Alex Tagliani would lead for 20 laps early in the event but encountered complications deeper into the race event. Overheating issues on the Sam Schmidt Racing #77 car drop the Canadian pole sitter from the top-10 after the halfway distance.

On lap 21, the first caution for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 slowed the 220-plus mile per hour field. Takuma Sato hit the wall on the race track destroying his #5 KV Racing Technology car. Fielding three cars in the 2011 edition of the Indy 500, KV Racing Technology's day would become even more expensive on race's first double-file restart when their overaggressive #59 car driven by EJ Viso made contact with the #06 of James Hinchcliffe entering turn 1. In reference to the double-file restarts, fellow competitor Marco Andretti was quoted in post-race saying "I'm going to be very frank about that and say they're trying to kill somebody. I'm glad it's great for the fans, but the risk where we're at is just ridiculous. It's a lottery."

On the second double-file restart on lap 33, the Indy cars accelerated more tamely but still provided a great show. Retaking the lead, the #77 Sam Schmidt Racing car of Alex Tagliani surged around Scott Dixon. A lap later, the #9 Target-Chip Ganassi Racing car weaved back around Tagliani to resume his hold of the top race position. Leading for 26 laps, Dixon turned the 1st place position over to Dario Franchitti a lap prior to caution flying for the #88 car of Jay Howard on lap 62. When the 2011 Indy 500 concluded the Target cars led 124 of the race's 200 laps.

As was proven through previous Indy 500 races, the multi-car team dynamic figured heavily (although this year it was not to an advantage. Though the Target-Chip Ganassi Racing squad claimed supremacy at the Brickyard as the reigning race team, the Penske Racing three-car team encountered a second-straight year of struggles after demonstrating near brilliance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for many years. The frustration started early when the team's top qualifying driver Will Power pitted during the first caution. Exiting the pit lane after receiving service by the pit crew, his #12 car lost its entire left-rear wheel causing the Australian Power to limp back almost the entire 2.5 mile distance on only three wheels. The incident on the #12 car was similar to the wheel loss that occurred to Jay Howard but Power was moving at a slower speed avoiding a crash. 

Power was able to stay in the race completing the race in 14th place. Crashing out of the Indy 500 at lap 156 when the #99 of Townsend Bell lowered down on the #6 Penske Racing car into turn 1, Ryan Briscoe was the only non-finishing driver in the Roger Penske cam. Relating to that Briscoe wreck, 3-time Indy 500 winner for Penske Racing Helio Castroneves was out of contention for a strong finish after having to make an unscheduled pit stop when his tires were damaged by on-track debris. Castroneves finished 17th, only the 2nd time in 11 starts that the Brazilian finished outside of the top-10.

Photo Credit: Dana Garrett

Following the caution for Howard, the race moved smoothly until just one lap after passing the midway mark in the event. Canadian rookie James Hinchcliffe, who had made it to 13th place in the race driving his Newman/Haas Racing #06 car, lost grip out of turn 3 slamming into the outer wall. On the radio following the accident, Hinchcliffe apologized to his crew. "Bertrand (Baguette) got a good run on me, and I was really just trying to let him go. I backed off early and was giving him the corner but unfortunately got a little bit in the grey. With how worn the tires were, at that stage of the stint I was just a passenger." the Indy 500 rookie of the year contender said. With James Hinchcliffe and Jay Howard out of the race, the only three first-time 2011 Indy 500 competitors remained with JR Hildebrand, Charlie Kimball and Pippa Mann.

Following Hinchcliffe's crash, Newman/Haas Racing teammate Oriol Servia would take the lead for 16 circuits around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway starting on lap 113. Though the 2010 winner Dario Franchitti would surge Chip Ganassi's super team back into the front spot, the presence of Servia's #2 Dallara-Honda firmly leading over highly-funded teams gave a renewed sense of open competition.

After winning the race's pole and showing consistent speed early in the event, Alex Tagliani had fallen down the race's running order past the halfway point. As the Sam Schmidt Racing team sought to fix an overheating issue, the end result was a slower #77 car unable to meet the opening laps' pace. On lap 148, Tagliani's potential dream outcome in the 2011 Indy 500 was dashed when the #77 car lost grip into turn 4 severely damaging the right-front suspension. Rendered unable to finish the event, Tagliani became the second of the three Canadian drivers out of the event. Paul Tracy driving for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing was the last remaining Canadian native still running in the race. Tracy, like Hinchcliffe and Tagliani, made an impact with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wall early requiring extensive repairs to his vehicle. Finishing 25 laps down in 25th spot, Paul Tracy would be the final driver listed as running in the race results.

The Bell/Briscoe wreck amounted as the 6th caution sending all the teams to the pits with Ethanol to power their Honda engines. With 36 laps remaining in the 2011 Indianapolis 500, the scenario set up a bizarre fuel economy run. Into the late laps of the race, the Andretti Autosport #7 of Danica Patrick and the #30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing vehicle piloted by Belgium's Bertrand Baguette attempted to go the distance. Patrick was forced to gave up on her effort to with 11 laps remaining while Baguette (driving a one-off effort at the Indy 500) attempted to reach the start/finish line. Regrettably like Patrick, the Belgium driver was unable to completely accomplish this fuel economy move. "It is something unbelievable. We had a good chance to win the race. We were hoping for a yellow, but unfortunately we were two laps too short." Baguette said settling for a still respectable 7th place finish.

As leaders dropped in for a quick refueling, the race lead in the crucial final laps cycled to the #4 Panther Racing car driven by JR Hildebrand. Leading at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with just 2 laps remaining, the 23-year old American driver for Panther Racing looked as if he could drive on to a rookie triumph at the Brickyard (a feat accomplished by Juan-Pablo Montoya in 2000 and Helio Castroneves in 2001). Pulling away from second place, Hildebrand needed only to maintain focus through the final 7.5 mile distance to bring Panther Racing to victory lane after three-straight runner-up finishes at the annual event. However, on the final corner of the final lap, Hildebrand loses control as he was passing fellow rookie contender Charlie Kimball. Hildebrand's #4 Dallara shot into the wall but his car kept grinding its way to the start/finish lane.

Though possessing a handsome lead, Hildebrand fell victim to the #98 Bryan Herta Autosport-owned car driven by former INDYCAR full-timer Dan Wheldon. Wheldon shot past the crippled #4 car at full speed to take the 2011 Indianapolis 500. Across the line, an ecstatic Dan Wheldon took the checkered flag to claim the unofficial race victory. Wheldon's charge in the final stint was summed up by the driver in post-race ."I was just trying to go as hard as I could. I knew it was the last lap, and I knew some of those guys were struggling with fuel." Celebrating Operating as a single-car team for only the Indy 500, Bryan Herta Autosport is the first such effort to win the big Memorial Day race since the Players Racing team won with Jacques Villeneuve driving in 1995.

Crossing the line under caution, there was a brief dispute on the whether Wheldon's pass was made prior or after the yellow flag flew. Bringing back some memories of the controversial 2002 Indy 500 where Paul Tracy's pass on race leader Helio Castroneves was discounted, the challenge against Dan Wheldon's win came and went with the British driver retaining his honour. "I love Indianapolis. I love the people, I love everything about it. The tradition, the history. I just felt a lot of relief. It's an incredible feeling. I've been runner-up two years before this, but I never gave up.". Wheldon's second Indy 500 win following a 2005 victory with Andretti-Green Racing, his year's success was extra special for many personal reasons. After driving for Panther Racing last year for the full-time IZOD INDYCAR series schedule, Dan Wheldon entered the location of his best 2010 finish as a healthy scratch from the 2011 season. Wheldon;s personal life has also consisted of the high of him and his wife's second son Oliver and the low point being his mother's recent diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease.

 

Mounting a strong run which included 6 laps in the lead, 22-year old Graham Rahal achieved a 3rd place finish. Started deep in the field in 29th place, Rahal and the Chip Ganassi Racing team (a largely autonomous group from the Target-Chip Ganassi Racing organization) fought their way forward in the freshman effort for the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series. Rookie teammate Charlie Kimball provided a respectable showing arriving from 28th in qualifying to 13th place in the final Indy 500 results.

Driving #58, KV Racing Technology had Tony Kanaan remaining in the race as the team's last chance at success following the retirements of Takuma Sato and EJ Viso. Fortunately, as the race endured, the Brazilian would not disappoint. Still seeking his first Borg-Warner trophy, Tony Kanaan came home in a quiet 4th place. Congratulating Dan Wheldon after the race, Kanaan identified with the once full-time IZOD INDYCAR driver through his own situation starting the season with KV Racing with only five days before the 2011 tour began. " I am surely happy for Dan (Wheldon). He's been through a lot. He got thrown out the window. A lot of people said that he wasn't good enough. I've been through that at the end of last year." Tony Kanaan said.

 

In order, Scott Dixon, Oriol Servia, Bertrand Baguette, Tomas Scheckter, Mario Andretti and Danica Patrick wrapped up the top-10 for the centennial running of the Indianapolis 500. The final year that Honda engines will be the sole power supplier of the IZOD INDYCAR Series, this his been the 6th consecutive year there were no reported engine failures following the 500-mile distance. Wtih the excitement the 2011 Indy 500 brought, there are high hopes for the 2012 event.

  

2011 Indianapolis 500

Race Results

 

1. 98 Dan Wheldon/England/ Sam Schmidt Racing
2. 4 JR Hildebrand/United States/ Panther Racing
3. 38 Graham Rahal/United States/Chip Ganassi Racing
4. 82 Tony Kanaan/Brazil/ KV Racing Technology
5. 9 Scott Dixon/New Zealand/ Target/Chip Ganassi Racing
6. 2 Oriol Servia/Spanish/ Newman/Haas Racing
7. 30 Bertrand Baguette/Belgium/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
8. 07 Tomas Scheckter/South Africa/KV Racing Technology-SH Racing
9. 26 Marco Andretti/United States/ Andretti Autosport
10. 7 Danica Patrick/United States/ Andretti Autosport
11. 67 Ed Carpenter/United States/Sarah Fisher Racing
12. 10 Dario Franchitti/Scotland/ Target/Chip Ganassi Racing
13. 83 Charlie Kimball/United States/ Chip Ganassi Racing
14. 12 Will Power/Australia/ Penske Racing
15. 14 Vitor Meira/Brazil/ AJ Foyt Racing Enterprises
16. 22 Justin Wilson/England/ Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
17. 3 Helio Castroneves/Brazil/ Penske Racing
18. 44 Billy Rice/United States/Panther Racing
19. 19 Alex Lloyd/England/Dale Coyne Racing
20. 36 Pippa Mann/England/Conquest Racing
21. 24 Ana Beatriz/Brazil/ Dreyer & Reinbold
22. 43 John Andretti/ United States/Andretti Autosport
23. 41 Ryan Hunter-Reay/United States/AJ Foyt Racing Enterprises
24. 11 Davey Hamilton/United States/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
25. 23 Paul Tracy/Canada/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
26. 99 Townsend Bell/United States/ Brian Herta Autosport
27. 6 Ryan Briscoe/Australia/ Penske Racing
28. 77 Alex Tagliani/Canada/ Sam Schmidt Racing
29. 06 James Hinchcliffe/Canada/ Newman/Haas Racing
30. 88 Jay Howard/England/Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
31. 78 Simona De Silvestro/Switzerland/ HVM Racing
32. 58 EJ Viso/Venezuela/ KV Racing Technology
33. 5 Takuma Sato/Japan/ KV Racing Technology

Race Weekend Weather Forecast: May 19th to May 21st, 2011

Photo Credit: Dana Garrett

Catalunya, Spain
Spanish Grand Prix
Formula 1
(Times are local)

10:00 am- Formula 1 Practice 1
Temperature: 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:00 pm- Formula 1 Practice 2
Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny and partly cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Saturday

11 am- Formula 1 Practice 3
Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2 pm- Formula 1 Qualifying
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Sunday

2:00 pm- Formula 1 Race Grand Prix of Spain
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%



Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
IZOD INDYCAR

Friday

12:00pm- IZOD INDYCAR Series Practice
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 10%


Saturday

8:00 am- IZOD INDYCAR Series Practice 1
Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

8:30 am- IZOD INDYCAR Series Practice 2
Temperature: 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

9:00 am IZOD INDYCAR Series All-car Practice
Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

11:00 am IZOD INDYCAR Series Qualifying (Position 1-24)
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

4:30 pm IZOD INDYCAR Series Qualifying (Position 1-9)
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of rain
Chance of Precipitation: 70%


Sunday

9:00 am- IZOD INDYCAR Series Practice
Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

12:00 pm- IZOD INDYCAR Series Qualifying (Position 25-33)
Temperature: 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with Clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 20%



Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup/ Camping World Truck Series

Friday

9:00 am- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice
Temperature: 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 10%

10:20 am- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Final Practice
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

12:00 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Sprint Showdown Practice
Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

1:35 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race Practice
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

4:00 pm- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Qualifying
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

5:00 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Sprint Showdown Qualifying
Temperature: 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

6:00 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race Qualifying
Temperature: 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

8:00 pm- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series RACE (134 LAPS, 201 MILES)
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy/Night
Chance of Precipitation: 30%


Saturday

7:30 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Sprint Showdown
Temperature: 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy/Night
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

9:00 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race
Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy/Night
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

Countdown to Indy (#7): Pictures of the Indy 500 Parade

Just a day before the 94th Indy 500, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might have gone quiet but the city of Indianapolis, Indiana is awakened by pre-race celebrations. The Indy 500 Parade is one such festivity where the enthusiasm of the milestone American race encapsulates the city.

With many popular IZOD IndyCar drivers participating in the event including Sarah Fisher and Helio Castroneves, its a clear sign that the 2010 Indy 500 is only one day away.



Photo Credit: Dana Garrett


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Photo Credit: Dana Garrett



Photo Credit: Dana Garrett



Photo Credit: Dana Garrett

Countdown to Indy (#8): Franchitti, Target Chip Ganassi Flies in Miller Carb Day at Indy

Photo by: Dan Helrigel


For a long time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Carburetion Day (known as more recently simply as Carb Day) has been an established day where qualified Indy 500 teams get their final practice opportunities on the 2.5 mile oval. With only the greatest American open wheel race ahead, Miller Carb Day is time spent wisely by 33 IZOD IndyCar teams as they determine the potential winning set-up for Sunday as each team averaged between 30-45 laps on the track.

Taking fastest time through the final practice, Scot Dario Franchitti launched his #10 Target/Chip Ganassi Racing with a 225.574 mile per hour average speed. The 2007 winner of the Indy 500, Franchitti and his #9 car teammate Scott Dixon mounted a strong 1-2 punch on Miller Carb Day. Qualifying 3rd and 6th, the Target Chip Ganassi Racing cars are seen as the top challenger against the favoured three-car team of Penske Racing. Of the Team Penske group, Australian Will Power made it to the highest spot on the Carb Day time sheet for the Verizon-sponsored trio with a 3rd fastest run just 1/10th of a second off Franchitti's time.

In 4th place, the one-off FAZZT Race Team #33 car driven by Bruno Junqueira posted a time 1/10th of a second slower than Will Power. Starting the Indy 500 in 25th place Sunday, Junqueira spent most of the week prior to Indy 500 qualifying weekend waiting for the sponsorship check to clear for his FAZZT Race Team ride. Unable to make a run on Indy 500 Pole Day, the 225.662 mile per hour four-lap average speed posted on Bump Day could have scored the #33 car a 7th place run one day before. Very satisfied with the fact that former Indy car team owner Derrick Walker will be operating as his Team Strategist, Junqueira summarized the his attitude when starting Sunday's race by saying "We need to be very patient, but that is OK because we have a fast car." Possessing a strong well-rounded team, FAZZT Race Team's full-time #77 team posted a strong 10th place run in what has been a remarkable month of May for Canadian driver Alex Tagliani.

Fifth on Carb Day practice is where 2010 Indy 500 polesitter Helio Castroneves settled. Leading several practice sessions, Castroneves and his #3 Penske Racing team Pole Day lap was about 1.5 miles per hour faster than any lap shown through warm ups. Rounding out the top-10 in Carb Day final practice is KV Racing Technology's E.J. Viso, Dan Wheldon, Mario Moraes, Raphael Matos and the before-mentioned Alex Tagliani.

Recovering from terrible memories of the two-day qualifying session last weekend, Tony Kanaan was going to start in the back of the 2010 Indy 500 after finally qualifying after two crashes. Struggling to find speed with his third car, the #11 Andretti Autosport team has elected to switch to their back-up car. Since Tony Kanaan qualified 32rd, the Brazilian loses only one position as he is sent to the back of the field for the car change.

This year, Miller Carb Day also consists of a IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Competition and the Firestone Indy Light's 40 lap race called the Firestone Freedom 100. While Wade Cunningham won the Firestone Freedom 100 for the third time, the pit stop competition was taken by the #3 Penske Racing team. Winning the pole last Saturday for the 2010 Indy 500, Team Penske is now 2 for 2 in official competitions with other IndyCar organization.

If the luck holds for the #3 Penske Racing car, Helio Castroneves could drinking milk for the fourth time in Indianapolis Motor Speedway victory lane. However, 32 other drivers will definitely mount a collected effort to keep the Brazilian and his Penske Racing team out of victory lane.

Countdown to Indy (#11): Dixon Retains Top of Indy Practice Time Sheet for Wednesday

Photo Credit: Dan Helrigel

For the second straight practice session, Target/Chip Ganassi Racing's #9 car of Scott Dixon led the pace out front of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The red IndyCar on Wednesday set a fast average speed 226.971 miles per hour with a time of 39.6526 seconds. Dixon seemed rather unconcerned about his top speed in the practice but was very happy with the comfort level of his #9 car and talks about his team having "a good benchmark to start at tomorrow."

After Castroneves led the first two days, the presence of Penske Racing had faded off the speed charts on Tuesday as the three-car operation placed full focus in race runs. On Wednesday's day 5 of Indy practice, Penske Racing decided to show their hand again posting the second-fast team in the session. Delivering the fast lap for the Verizon-sponsored team was Ryan Briscoe who outperformed his teammates for the first time in this month of May at Indy. "It really was a good day for the No. 6 car and for the whole team." Briscoe commented as he was joined by his fellow Penske Racing drivers in the top-8 cars of the day. Will Power furnished a 6th place run while Helio Castroneves continues to be a mainstay in the top-10 in practice, though mired in 8th spot.

Achieving a fantastic 3rd fastest time, the FAZZT Race Team's driver Alex Tagliani described the team's work at Indy with name of a Bryan Adams album "...so far, so good". While the #77 car logged an excellent 226.002 miles per hour, Tagliani is mindful of the quickly-approaching Indy 500 Pole day. "We didn't feel like there was a point to continue today to give ourselves and idea of what the car could do for qualifying because we know that the temperature is going to be quite different on Saturday. Tomorrow is going to be a bit warmer and little bit better of a representative of what we'll see this weekend, so we'll go out and give it a shot."

In another refreshing addition to the top-5 in practice on Wednesday, Hideki Mutoh stormed his #06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing car into 4th quick on the session. Also a new face in the top-10 this practice was Townsend Bell. While Bell is competing in an Indy 500 only effort, it is really not a big surprise to see the American running so well. Apart from Townsend Bell beign an accomplished driver, he's driving a Sam Schmidt car co-owned by Chip Ganassi.

Rounding out the top-5 was Dario Franchitti on the second Target/Chip Ganassi Racing machine who continues to show consistent speed searching long-term for a second Indy 500 victory. Hoping for his first Indy 500 win is Tony Kanaan in the #11 Andretti Autosport car. 7th fastest, Kanaan completed a dedicated 134 laps on the day setting the car up around the speedway. "... I don't think the number of laps matters; it's the quality of the runs. We felt good and kept improving. That is why we kept running." Kanaan commented in post-practice.

As the only incident on the day, EJ Viso in the KV Racing Tehnology #8 car connected with the turn 1 wall. Viso is fine and was swiftly given a medical clear to return to driving duties; duties which will continue tomorrow in a backup car.

Between the 35 cars clocking times on the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the difference between the fastest lap times for first to last place runners was only 1.1548 seconds. With all cars producing speeds quick enough to make last year's Indy 500, the 2010 IndyCar competition is proving tighter than previous years. Also, top speeds are roughly a mile per hour faster in 2010 with Helio Castroneves' Sunday run of over 227 miles per hour in the #3 Verizon Penske Racing Dallara-Honda.