2002 Toronto Indy Race Photos

In honour of the 25-anniversary of this great race in Toronto, I'll share some images from previous year events. The following photos were compiled from my visit to the 2002 Molson Indy event. These are the first digital camera images I snapped at the race track. Please keep in mind my camera was only a 1.3 megapixel camera with a 2x digital zoom. At the time I knew the camera was reasonably advanced but we can clearly note digital camera on cell phones is more sophisticated.  

In a race weekend dominated by than Newman/Haas driver Christiano da Matta, these images were taken on the Saturday.

KV Racing Technology Starts Deep in 2011 Honda Indy

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

After a momentum-changing oval stretch for KV Racing Technology, the three-car was confident they could carry their fortunes into the Honda Indy of Toronto. The second Friday session, de facto team leader Tony Kanaan maintained a top-10 time through both practice rounds. In the afternoon practice Friday, Kanaan and the #82 team posted a 5th fastest time of 1 minute, 1.013 seconds.

In Saturday qualifying, the Lotus green vehicles were off the pace with the likes of Penske Racing and the Chip Ganassi Racing cars. After time trials, all three drivers for KV Racing Technology starts deeply entrenched in the second half of the race lineup order. In 19th place, the sophomore driver Takuma Sato starts the #5 car well off the pole position the Japanese driver captured at Iowa Speedway. In morning practice, Sato was 8th fastest on track for the IZOD INDYCAR series. Through the follow-up practices, Sato and the #5 KV Racing Technology team were unable to improve their pace falling down the time sheet.

One position ahead of Takuma Sato, EJ Viso has had a more progressive improvement on the Toronto street circuit. Capable of just a 19th quickest time in the first session Friday, Viso and the #59 team moved up to 8th by Saturday's practice. Mentioning the team was trying different setups in the Saturday practice ahead of qualifying, The #59 car was not fast enough to move the Columbian driver out of the first round qualifying session.

Providing the team-best run, Tony Kanaan is positioned 16th for the start of the Honda Indy of Toronto. Last season, Kanaan started 11th for Andretti Autosport on route to a 4th place finish. In post race comments, Tony Kanaan commented on the qualifying effort saying, "We left with seven minutes to go and on my fast lap I got blocked twice and missed out on moving up to Q2. I believe that I had a top-six car, so it's a shame that we're going to start mid-pack."

A drastically improved team over last season, the Honda Indy race for KV Racing Technology is still an opportunity to observe a front-running team in the making for the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR series.

Mark Webber Masters British Grand Prix Qualifying

Photo Credit: Steven Tee/LAT Photographic

 

Similar to what Charlotte Motor Speedway is to NASCAR and what the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is to INDYCAR, the Silverstone circuit is the port of call for many of the team participating in the Formula 1 series. with race shops near the track, the British Grand Prix is a homecoming of sorts for this very international series. Practicing under cloudy skies with sprays of precipitation on the historic 3.667-mile track, the formula 1 drivers and teams were looking past Friday to see more of the same weather conditions. Saturday's qualifying for the Formula 1 series found competitors with one eye on the track and another on the skies.

 

Timing their qualifying run with precision to the changing weather conditions, the Red Bull Racing team emerges from British Grand Prix qualifying taking the front row spots. Beating his championship-leading teammate for only the second time in 2011 qualifying, Australia's Mark Webber delivered a top time just before the track conditions would become too damp. Setting a new track record with a 1 minute, 30.399 second in qualifying on the current Arena track configuration, Webber defends his Red Bull Racing team's current undefeated record for grand prix poles for 2011.

 

Sebastian Vettel grabbed second place in a qualifying where the German show less race dominating pace. Perhaps affected by new Formula 1 rules which was said to have punished the Red Bull-Renaults, Vettel would not lead a single session of British Grand Prix qualifying session.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

 

 

As the Red Bull-Renaults appeared to be normalized to other top Formula 1 contenders, the Scuderia Ferrari cars driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa found all-new energy through the time trial. In the Q2 round, the Ferrari of Massa currently posted the top time over the Red Bull-Renaults. In the final round, Alonso found some additional speed to pass some Ferrari teammate concluding with a second row team sweep.

 

In the third row, Jenson Button posted more than acceptable time with his McLaren-Mercedes. Button's teammate Lewis Hamilton will start 10th as the slowest vehicle in the Q3 group. Providing a surprising companion to the 2009 Formula 1 world champion in the third row is Paul di Resta. Driving one of the Force India race cars powered by customer Mercedes-Benz engines, the rookie starts 6th at Silverstone.
While both Friday and Saturday provided rainy, rather dreary days for the Formula 1 tour, Sunday is forecast to be a much more favourable day for the British Grand Prix. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone is set to roll at 1:00pm local time (8:00am Eastern time)

 

 

2011 Formula 1

British Grand Prix

Silverstone

Starting Lineup

1. 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing
2. 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing
3. 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
4. 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari
5. 4 Jenson Button McLaren
6. 13 15 Paul di Resta Force India
7. 8 12 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1
8. 16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber
9. 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
10. 3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren
11. 14 Adrian Sutil Force India
12. 17 Sergio Perez Sauber
13. 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
14. 10 Vitaly Petrov Lotus Renault GP
15. 11 Rubens Barrichello Williams F1
16. 9 Nick Heidfeld Lotus Renault GP
17. 21 Heikki Kovalainen Team Lotus
18. 19 Jaime Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso
19. 18 Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso
20. 24 Timo Glock Marussia Virgin Racing
21. 20 Jarno Trulli Team Lotus
22. 25 Jérôme D’Ambrosio Marussia Virgin Racing
23. 23 Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT F1
24. 22 Daniel Ricciardo HRT F1