Rahal Rolls to Early Benchmark Friday at Mid-Ohio

Photo Credit: Dan Helrigel

Celebrating almost 50 years of hosting sports car and open wheel event, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is the location of the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series season's 11th event.

Born in Columbus, Ohio home, Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing driver Graham Rahal must have felt some hometown magic lapping the Lexington-based race track during Friday's practice. The #38 car of 22-year old Rahal lapped the 13-turn, 2.258 mile track in 1 minute, 9.6031 seconds in one of his 20 laps in the session. "It feels good to start the weekend off this way for sure. I think we showed the grip is low, but at the end of the day it felt pretty good." Rahal commented on the slick Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. 

While Graham Rahal's road course prowess in open wheel is acknowledged, the Friday practice for the IZOD INDYCAR Series' Honda Indy 200 presented some surprises. Timing slightly slower than Rahal, the KV Racing Technology #59 car of EJ Viso was only 5/100ths of a second off the top time in the early track session. "This result is very important, it shows us that we have a fast car for the weekend and hopefully we have the control to bring a good result." cited the Venezuelan driver Viso. Another somewhat major surprise from the usual superteam dominance, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Justin Wilson is intent to continue a recent performance upturn. Other impressive top times posted on Friday at Mid-Ohio included a 6th fastest effort by Newman/Haas Racing rookie James Hinchcliffe, an 8th by red hot Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay and an 11th fastest time posted by the #78 HVM Racing team car driven by Simona de Silvestro.

Finishing first at Toronto and third on the Edmonton airport circuit, Dario Franchitti enters the Mid-Ohio Honda Indy 200 ready to seek an advantage over the IZOD INDYCAR Series rival Will Power. Franchitti was 4rd fastest in the first practice driving the #10 Target/Chip Ganassi Racing car. The Scottish defending champion Franchitti just barely edged on the #12 Penske Racing car of Power on practice time proving early an advantage might be difficult to discover.   

Saturday IZOD INDYCAR action at Mid-Ohio includes a one-hour practice starting at 9:30 AM with a qualifying to be held at 12:55 PM.

Sam Schmidt Motorsport Pledges to Use Honda Power in 2012 INDYCAR Season

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter

Announced ahead of the weekend racing activities at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the 2011 Indianapolis 500 pole-winning team Sam Schmidt Motorsports has affirmed plans to compete in the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR Series season with Honda engines. Competing full-time in the 2011 season with the #77 car driven by French-Canadian driver Alex Tagliani, Honda and the Sam Schmidt Motorsports race team has two poles so far in the ongoing IZOD INDYCAR Series tour. In a press release, team owner Sam Schmidt commented on the team's powerplant choice for next season. “I believe its total commitment to performance, reliability and integrity as a company is perfectly aligned with the goals of Sam Schmidt Motorsports and its partners. We look forward to what we hope will be a long and very productive relationship.” said Schmidt.

Confirming an engine for the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR Series season, Sam Schmidt Motorsports has been a race team appearing in the news and rumour mill more than once in 2011. A sophomore race team started in 2010 as the FAZZT Race Team (driver Alex Tagliani was one of the co-owners), Sam Schmidt bought into the organization at the beginning of the year saving the #77 INDYCAR team. A 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series highlighted by the Indianapolis 500 qualifying victory on Pole Day, the #77 car's race engineer left to rejoin Andretti Autosport shortly after the 500-mile event.

Questions have also surrounded the driver line-up for 2012 as sources indicate present driver Alex Tagliani is fighting to keep his seat in Sam Schmidt Motorpsorts. Part of entering the FAZZT Race Team in 2010 was a five-year contract to drive the #77 vehicle but it seems unsure if Tagliani's deal is upheld when the team was sold this past winter. Starting the season strong with a 5th place at Long Beach and 6th in the opening IZOD INDYCAR event in St Petersburg, Tagliani has most recently come off a two-race stretch in Canada where he became the center of criticism through instances of contact with other cars. Sam Schmidt Motorsports is currently backing past Firestone Indy Lights driver Martin Plowman for this weekend's race at Mid-Ohio. Rumours about Sam Schmidt Motorsports have a two-car, full-time effort a major wish for the organization.


As Sam Schmidt Motorsports becomes latest established IZOD INDYCAR Series team to commit to their engine choice for next season, the upcoming twin-turbocharged V-6 powerplant constructed by Honda Racing Development is a popular so far in the stages leading up to next season. Powerhouse team Chip Ganassi Racing as well as long-time IRL/INDYCAR Series operation AJ Foyt Racing both announced their intentions to retain the services of Honda Racing Development. Competing engines for the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR season has Chevrolet and Lotus based within the series.

Senna's 1991 McLaren F1 Race Car Turned Model Kit Selling at Auction

Photo Credit: Adam Jacob’s Photography

When current race car drivers are asked to name an all-time competitor who represents the best in motorsports, many would name the Brazilian Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna. Driving Formula 1 cars for Toleman, Team Lotus, McLaren and Williams, it was his time with McLaren team where legend of Senna is cemented. With a Marboro-sponsored McLaren race car, Senna captured his three career World Championships. The final title coming in the 1991 season, Ayrton Senna won 7 races en route to the victorious honour. Constructed in the context of an unassembled model kit, one of the McLaren MP4/6 Formula 1 race cars Senna rode in that 1991 tour will be available at a German auction. 

The art piece was actually created back in 1992 by than art student Jay Burridge. Burridge, who had since creating the McLaren MP4/6 sculpture became a BBC television personality, requested and received the blessing from McLaren team principal Ron Dennis to create his artistic design from a series of previously-used carbon fiber pieces. After Senna's death at teh San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, Dennis and Burridge agreed to keep the sculpture in storage out of respect for the Brazilian driver. The art piece would not be exhibited again until 2004 where it was presented in a Ayrton Senna tribute at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Carbon fiber body panels remains intact depicting the wear of Formula 1 competition. Due to current restrictions in tobacco advertising, the only modification done to the McLaren MP4/6 formula 1 car was the replacement of decals wearing the Marlboro name with the unnamed strobe decals. While a change to the particular race-used structure, the livery presentation is accurate to what was used in certain European events through the 1991 Formula 1 season. Both Britain and Germany had outlawed tobacco sponsorship in the 1980s requiring many Formula 1 race teams to adopt this camouflage.

Former McLaren team manager Dennis Rushen commented on the piece saying,“I was really impressed with the Senna sculpture. Such a clever idea and it really stands out as something really different." Rushen also mentioned that Ayrton Senna would have appreciated the art piece saying that the Brazilian driver would often fly a remote-controlled helicopter at team meetings.

Being a former race car once handled by legendary Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna, this McLaren MP4/6 is given extra special prestige since its sale is an exception to a policy within the McLaren F1 race team. Typically after a grand prix event, McLaren F1 engineers dismantles a race car for examination and would either reuse or destroy any components. The sale of the Ayrton Senna McLaren Formula 1 car sculpture is a rare instant where parts from a race-used vehicle from the popular auto racing constructor will be available to the public.

Listed as lot #112 in the catalogue for the Coys auction held in conjunction with the 39th Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nurburgring in Germany, the Ayrton Senna McLaren MP4/6 model kit sculpture was previewed July 16th at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. When the unique and historically significant item heads to auction on August 13th, Coys has estimated bidding as high as 50,000 Euros (about $71,500 US). With the career of the Brazilian racer being one of the most celebrated in motorsports, the value could go well north of that number. With whole crop of racers referring to Ayrton Senna as an inspiration, his legend is recently being fostered by a critically acclaimed documentary retelling the legacy of the three-time Formula 1 champion.