Feel the Electricity in the Air: Formula E Readies for Historical First Race

 

A new chapter in motorsports will be written this weekend as the first professional tour for electric cars take to a race course in Beijing China. After two years of active development by the FIA, Formula E comes to life as a zero-emission motorsport competition.

For motorsport viewers needing a quick lesson into what is Formula E, the following details of the series will provide some quick insight into what to expect when seeing a 2014/2015 season race.

　

The Series:

For the inaugural Formula E season in 2014, the tour will run 10 races in some stunning locales. The series’ first race will take place in Beijing, China on what is called the Olympic Green Circuit (3.44-kilometer, 20-turn course). Race dates are also slated for London, Los Angeles as well as Monte Carlo. While nine dates are confirmed, the series starts with one race still left to be announced.

Formula E will operate with a schedule that runs through the calendar year. The composition of a 2014/2015 Formula E season is something unusual in auto racing. When the Indy Racing League launched in 1996, the series attempted a similar scheduling strategy where May’s Indianapolis 500 would have crowned an overall season championship but it was quickly abandoned.

　

The Cars:

The Formula E will launch as a spec vehicle series with all teams competing with a Spark-Renault SRT_01E race car. Built by Spark Racing Technology, the car’s carbon fiber monocoque chassis construction has been outsourced to Dallara. The Formula E vehicle closely resembles a Formula 1 car but features some distinctive aerodynamic elements on the vehicle’s front wing and along the side. Minimum weight of a Formula E car is 888 kilograms with the drive included (just less than 200 kilograms heavier than a Formula 1 race car).

The all-electric powertrain involves the cooperation between two organizations rooted as Formula 1 rivals. Subsidiaries of McLaren and Williams give the Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E car motion. McLaren Electronics Systems provides the electric motor and gearbox while Williams Advanced Engineering supplies the battery. Limited to a weight of 200 kilograms (440 pounds), the battery pack delivers 28kWh of usable energy. In comparison, the Tesla Model S features up to 85kWh of usable energy but weighs around three times more. The electrical power system of the Formula E produces a maximum of 200 kilowatts (the equivalent of 270 horsepower). However, only 150 kilowatts will be available to drivers under a race mode. Because the electric motors are largely silent compared to Formula 1 cars, but the electric race cars do produce around 80 decibels of noise.

Michelin will be supplying 18-inch treaded tires for the Spark-Renault SRT_01E designed to operate in dry and wet conditions.

The Team and Drivers:

There will be 10 teams completing in the inaugural Formula E championship fielding two cars. Amlin Aguri, Andretti Formula E, Audi Sport ABT, China Racing, Dragon Racing, e.dams-Renault, Mahindra Racing, Trulli, Venturi and Virgin Racing are the names of the organizations participating in the 2014 season.

Of the 20 drivers in the field for the first race, the 13 have driven at least one Formula 1 race. Some of those former F1 pilots driving in the 2014 Formula E championship include Bruno Senna, Jarno Trulli, Takuma Sato and Nelson Piquet Jr. Other notable drivers competing in Formula E includes Oriol Servia and Katherine Legge who will be one of two females part of the international championship along with Italy’s Michela Cerruti driving for Trulli.

　

The Races:

With practice and qualifying sessions, the 2014 Formula E weekend lead to the main feature race called the ePrix. The ePrix races will be scheduled to last around one hour. As the end of the ePrix, drivers are rewarded points for position, pole position as well as the race’s fastest lap. Using a similar system similar to that currently in use in Formula 1, the top-10 of every Formula E ePrix will even points for their position with the winner receiving 25 points. Unlike Formula 1, drivers will also be given three points for a pole position and two points will go the competitor setting fastest lap in each race.

Having already mentioned the electric powerplant output of the Spark-Renault SRT_01E race car, Formula E will provide three lucky drivers with five seconds of additional power through a popularity contest. Called FanBoost, three drivers will be chosen by the fans through an online poll. The drivers with the most votes will receive five seasons where they receive 30 extra kilowatts of energy.


Information and photo credit: Formula E, Renault UK
　

The Numbers Behind Winning the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series Championship

 

Photo Credit: Chris Owens

It is unfortunate to note the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series is ending so early. After 17 races, the open wheel series season wraps with a final race on a two-mile oval in California. The last chance for a team to score a victory in the 2014 tour, the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway provide the last stand to claim the drivers’ championship for the Verizon IndyCar Championship.

In the best contention for the 2014 crown is a pair of Team Penske drivers who both have a case for being owed a championship. Will Power finished in the runner-up spot in the IndyCar Series championship three times in a row between 2010 and 2012. In second heading into California is Brazil’s Helio Castroneves. Having won the Indianapolis 500 three times, Castroneves has never won a championship in a major American open wheel racing series. Finishing second in the 1997 Indy Lights Series to Tony Kanaan, 13 full seasons in the IndyCar Series have seen him end the season in second three times. Both Power and Castoneves would like to put a cherry on top of career sundae with a Verizon IndyCar championship trophy.

 

Photo Credit: Richard Dowdy

Points Heading into MAVTV 500

Will Power: 626
Helio Castroneves: 575
Simon Pagenaud: 545
Ryan Hunter-Reay: 534

　

Operating on a double point system with the MAVTV 500 being part of the 2014 IndyCar Triple Crown, the race opens an otherwise sealed championship providing contenders a chance to unseat Will Power (or Power a chance to unseat himself). Mathematically, the championship is still a four-driver fight prior to the green flag dropping. However, 2012 IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will be eliminated from contention at the start of the race. 92 points back from Power ahead of the 500-mile race at Auto Club Speedway, 22 cars starting the MAVTV 500 will result in a minimum of 16 points being scored.

With only Will Power, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud in contention for the 2014 championship, 200 laps around the fast Auto Club Speedway in California is a rare occasion to see a three-way title fight at the IndyCar finale. Heading into to the final race of the season, Power held a 51-point lead over his Team Penske teammate. An outside shot for the 2014 championship, Simon Pagenaud driving for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports is 81 points from the lead. In qualifying for Saturday night’s race, Helio Castroneves captured an important point by taking the pole position for the MAVTV 500. The gain draws the Brazilian to 50 points of teammate Will Power.

　

Championship Scenarios:

 

Castroneves Wins Race and Will Power Finishes 7th while also Leading Lap

Photo Credit: Chris Jones

 
Will Power: 679
Helio Castroneves: 679
Simon Pagenaud: ?

　

With a 50-point lead, Will Power only needs to gather 53 additional points in the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series to guarantee a championship. With the 52 points gained with the seventh place run, leading a lap will grant Power the one additional point solidifying the championship for the Australian. Even if the #3 car wins the race and leads the most laps, Castroneves can only add 103 points. This scenario will end in a points tie between the Team Penske entrants. With three wins to a potential two, Will Power would prevail for 2014.

In 500-mile races this season, Helio Castroneves holds the best average finish with runner-up spots at Indianapolis as well as Pocono. Will Power’s finishing average in the same two races for 2014 was ninth. This scenario has a close statistical possibility.

　


Power Finishes 22^nd and Castroneves Finishes 4^th While Leading Most Laps

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

 
Helio Castroneves: 643
Will Power: 642
Simon Pagenaud: ?

　

Since the minimum amount of points available within the 22-car for the MAVTV 500 is 16, Will Power will end the 2014 season with a points total of at least 642 points. Castroneves would need to gain more than 66 points in the race to steal the title from Power. In this scenario, the Castroneves came take the championship mathematically by finishing in the top three spots without leading a lap. However, Helio Castroneves could also be crowned 2014 Verizon IndyCar champion if he finishes fourth withstanding he will gain three additional points leading the most laps at Auto Club Speedway at the end of 500 miles.

　


Pagenaud Wins Race, Power takes 21^st and Castroneves finishes 4^th

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

Simon Pagenaud: 646
Will Power: 644
Helio Castroneves: 640

　

Even if Power finishes 22^nd, the Simon Pagenaud would have to take victory at Auto Club Speedway in the #77 car in order to take the 2014 championship with misfortune required for Will Power. Power would need to finish in the bottom two positions of the race for Pagenaud‘s championship dreams to be realized. Currently 31 points behind Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud would need the second Team Penske title contender to place fourth or lower in the final results. Unfortunately for Pagenaud, his already long-shot hopes for the 2014 title is not helped by so-so runs in the previous two 500-mile oval races this season.

Please Note: The points would account for the unlikelihood Helio Castroneves will not lead a lap while starting on the pole for Saturday night’s MAVTV 500.

　

Of course, these three championship scenarios would not matter if Will Power would be positioned ahead of both Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud at the end of the race. While Power won last year’s MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway, earning a 21^st place starting spot in Friday’s qualifying could mean the points will at least be closer following Saturday night’s race on the two-mile speedway.

　

Driver Kevin Ward Jr Dies After Bodily Impact from Car Driven by Tony Stewart

There has never been any illusions that auto racing can be a dangerous sport. Over the years, helmets, roll bars and most recently SAFER barriers detail just a few products engineered to reduce injury and death to those involved in motorsports. At the end, with all the technology invested into race cars, drivers remain the key to providing a safe atmosphere. Late Saturday night on a New York dirt track, one young sprint car driver has lost his life by an action that can only properly described at this as a tragic lapse of competitors assuring safety.

The incident took place during an Empire Super Sprints (ESS) race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York. Making a special appearance at the event was NASCAR Sprint Cup three-time champion and USAC title winner Tony Stewart. Stewart has been renowned for his numerous appearance at short tracks across the United States. Racing regular competitor Kevin Ward Jr.'s on track, Stewart's #14 car collided with the #13 machine of Ward. The result from their interaction had Ward's car getting wrecked. With the sprint car race under caution, the driver decided to passionately express his displeasure at Stewart. An action customary at short track and even part of major auto racing, Ward stepped away from his wrecked #13 car and proceeded closer to lower part of the race track where running sprint cars were crossing him. With Stewart just above the lower line of the dirt oval, the sprint car slammed into Kevin Ward Jr. sending the driver violently to the ground. With no signs of movement, safety officials were quick to provide medical assistance to Ward. Unfortunately, early Sunday morning, the Ontario County Sheriff Phil Povero announced to local media outlets that the driver has been confirmed dead.

According to the driver bio on his racing website, Kevin Ward Jr. was about 20 years old with a passion and talent for sprint car racing. Progressing through the ladder of sprint car racing as a two-time champion in micro sprints, he entered the ESS series in 2012 and was bestowed with rookie of the year honours. Since debuting in the series, Ward won four-time ESS feature races on route to fourth place in the 2013 championship. Before the event at Canandaigua, he was in seventh place in the 2014 drivers' standings.

With the passing of Kevin Ward Jr. under such violent circumstances of a person being struck on-foot by a race car, a investigation has been immediately launched by police. Several reports by witnesses is supporting a notion that Tony Stewart allegedly hit Ward intentionally based on the speed and positioning of his car. Social media buzz based on videos of the crash has been strongly against the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver/team owner. Stewart has been cooperating with the police investigation following the collision and there has been no charges as of Sunday morning relating to the incident. There has also been no news relating to the #14 Chevrolet Tony Stewart regularly rides in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

Regardless to fault, the passing of Kevin Ward Jr. serves as a sad end to a young life that accomplished so much and was full of promise.