Heavy Rain Delays IZOD IndyCar Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg to Monday Morning

Photo Credit: Steve Swope

The start of the IZOD IndyCar Series' Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg has been rescheduled for 10AM Monday morning as a large storm blows through the Florida area mid-afternoon Sunday. Race organizers, St Petersburg city officials, broadcast partners as well as the series made the decision at 3:30 PM on Sunday afternoon as up to a inch of rain coated the surface of the Florida temporary street course. IRL President of Competition and Racing Operations Brian Barnhart elaborated that standing water, track drainage, and potential driver visibility were reasons for the postponement of the race. "While our cars are equipped to run in the rain, we take the safety of our teams, event workers and fans very seriously. And with those conditions, even with the Firestone Firehawk rain tires and rain lights that we have, visibility would still be an issue." Barnhart commented.

Unlike the NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway, the IZOD IndyCar Series is faced with the fact they're running on a temporary street course incorporating roadways and part of an airport. For open wheel racing, past events with rain dampening temporary street circuits have resulted in some disgraceful black-eyes.

The most notorious American open wheel event to be broken by wet weather was the Surfers Paradise CART race in 2002. A monsoon-like rain resulting in a 9-car accident made it impossible for the field to safety compete after a mere 8 green flag laps were run on the Australian street course. Because of the need to convert the circuit back to public roads by the last day, CART elected to run the field under the yellow flag for 30 laps in order to push the race beyond the halfway mark. Making for a ridiculous parade, the Surfer's Paradise finish was also marred with additional controversy. With the race distance marked at 60 laps, it was suggested that CART waited until lap 40 to call the event because they didn't want than halfway leader Michael Andretti to claim a victory. Andretti had than announced plans to run the competing IRL Series, this defection might have provoked CART to hold off on declaring the race finished until Mario Dominguez took the lead.

In reaction to the postponement of the IZOD IndyCar event, Sao Paulo runner-up Ryan Hunter-Reay stated "This is probably the best turnout for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg we've ever had, so to have them all out here and have them go home and come back out tomorrow is a disappointment for us." Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing's Hideki Mutoh supported the IRL/IndyCar decision saying candidly "If we were to go out and try to race, maybe there would only be one car that would finish."

Predictions call for rain showers to continue into the morning hours of Monday but the IZOD IndyCar vehicles are equipped to run in light to moderate rain thanks to Firestone wet weather tires. ESPN 2 will air the race live in the United States. With the Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg scheduled to be shown on ABC, the rescheduling to the cable sports network was an unexpected but unfortunate loss for the teams, drivers and sponsors in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series.

Weather permitting, Will Power in the #12 Penske Racing car will lead off the 24-car field.

Duno Finds Fulltime IndyCar Ride with Dale Coyne Racing

Photo Credit: IndyCar Media


For 2010, a second female racer will compete in the full 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule. After three season's of part-time competition amounting in 27 race starts, Venezuelan driver Milka Duno has signed on to wheel the #18 Dale Coyne Racing ride. Making her adventure into running the entire IndyCar calender in 2010, Duno will be competing within several events for the first time in her career including the Twin-Ring Motegi and the Streets of St Petersburg rounds. Within the release announcing Milka Duno's plans, the driver deeply looks forward this opportunity with Dale Coyne Racing becoming a career builder. "For the past three seasons I’ve only run partial schedules and I’m anxious to be competing in all the races this year. Doing so builds momentum and maintains consistency that I feel is a key factor to good results." Duno responded.

Having started her career at a somewhat late 24 years old, Milka Duno in the United States for the first time with the Barber Dodge 2000 Series. Duno's racing career hit a high-note through sports car racing in Grand Am, American Le Mans Series and the Ferrari Challenge where she became the first woman to win that race in the US. From 2001 to 2006, Duno's highlights included co-driving the LMP675 class winning car at the Petit Le Mans and involvement with 3 Daytona Prototype victories in Grand Am competition. Stepping away from sports car racing in after the 2006 season saw Milka Duno once again competing in open wheel racing. Entering the IndyCar Series with Venezuela oil company CITGO funding Duno's effort, her first season involved SAMAX Motorsport before moving to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing where she spent the past two seasons.

A long-time fixture in American open wheel, Dale Coyne Racing breakthrough victory in 2009 at Waltkin Glen has earned the race team an honourable mention in the IZOD IndyCar paddock for the upcoming season. Naming Milka Duno to the #18, team owner Dale Coyne is going to announce a driver next week for the #19 car.

Duno's addition to the 2010 IZOD IndyCar series race in the streets of Sao Paulo will bring the total of female drivers to 3 for the series opening weekend. With Danica Patrick rejoining Andretti Autosport's effort, Duno's former team Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is fielding an extra car for Brazil's Ana Beatriz.