A Detroit Grand Prix 2-fer benefits Penske Racing's Verizon champ bid

Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves led a race-high 42 laps in Race 2 t the Detroit Grand Prix, including the final 35 as he steadily pulled away to the point he could save his tires and make the final pit stop without the usual degree of pressure. Image Credit: David Yowe via Motorsport.com (2014)

A Detroit Grand Prix 2-fer benefits Penske Racing's Verizon champ bid

One week after Andretti Autosport served notice that it intends to capture the Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) championship with its win utilizing a "Flood The Zone" 5-car strategy in the INDY500, Penske Racing answered back in their own 2-race Grand Prix on their own track at the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit doubleheader at Belle Isle.

Andretti Autosport rolled into Detroit on a high created by winning one of motor culture's biggest prizes ($2.5 million winner's share) with the highest single race championship points payouts (double) for all the cars that finished - the 98th Indianapolis 500. Andretti Autosport 2012 IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay beat Penske Racing's 3-time INDY500 champion Helio Castroneves by the second smallest margin (0.06 seconds/about 3 feet separating the end of the DHL DW12 from the trailing Pennzoil DW12) with three additional Andretti Autosport cars landing at P3-Marco Andretti (so, that's two on the podium), P4-Carlos Munoz, and P6-Kurt Busch.

Up until about Lap 175 of 200 laps, Andretti Autosport was in contention to place all five cars fielded in the top 10 positions ... that is until a wild restart crash that saw Ed Carpenter in P3, Townsend Bell P4 and James Hinchcliffe at P5 - that had Bell passing, and ahead of Carpenter, who touched Bell, while Hinchcliffe trailed into an inside position setting up an impossible 3-wide competition through Turn-1 - sending Carpenter and Hinchcliffe careening into the wall.

Ryan Hunter-Reay came to the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit doubleheader at Belle Isle with a 40 point lead over his closest rival, Will Power. If this weekend were just a single race weekend event, the ability to erase this type of deficit would be nearly impossible. In fact, after the two practice sessions, the lap times the two drivers were logging (Power at P4 with a 1:17.8966 and RHR at P5 with a 1:18.1674 fastest lap) would have one guess that even with two races and double the points being awarded, this would still be a nearly impossible task.

Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit doubleheader at Belle Isle RACE 1:

Celebrating his best result in a season filled with frustration, Graham Rahal is happy to douse Detroit Race 1 winner, Will Power, from his P2 Podium position. Image Credit: Verizon IndyCar Series (2014)

This excerpted and edited from Crash.net -

Power overcomes poor qualifying to win  
Being mired down in 16th place on the grid in Detroit proved no obstacle to Will Power in his pursuit of a second Verizon IndyCar Series race win in 2014 
By crash.net - 31 May 2014

It had not been the best build-up to the first race of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit doubleheader at Belle Isle for Will Power, with Penske president Tim Cindric earlier admitting that the team was struggling to find pace in the #12 car this weekend as they qualified in a lowly 16th position.

A few hours later and the car - and driver - were transformed, thanks to tapping Power's team mate and polewinner Helio Castroneves for set-up tips and then by adopting a race strategy that gave them a fighting chance, thanks to a healthy amount of good fortune along the way.

Castroneves held the early lead of the race despite struggling to get off the grid for the formation laps, while fellow front row man James Hinchcliffe lost an early duel with Jack Hawksworth down into turn 1. There was an early yellow on lap 5 when Power made contact with Simon Pagenaud: the Australian was distracted by a simultaneous threat to the right from Marco Andretti and ended up pinching Pagenaud into the wall which left the #77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsport car in the turn 4 run-off with broken suspension.

A few of the cars toward the back of the field - Power among them - opted to pit under the caution, but the leaders stayed out and the race resumed on lap 8. However there was another early caution on lap 15 when Mike Conway understeered into the wall at turn 12 - meaning that both of the 2013 race winners were early retirements this time - and the leaders found it hard to pass up the opportunity to pit under yellow a second time.

The two drivers who stayed out were Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti, who duly resumed in the lead ahead of Power and the rest of the cars that had pitted on lap 6 that included Mikhail Aleshin, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Charlie Kimball, while Castroneves found himself down to eighth just ahead of Hinchcliffe.  
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The pit stops cycling through had put Castroneves back out in front when a new caution materialised on lap 36 for Josef Newgarden getting into the tyre barrier and wall at turn 7. The clean-up proved longer than expected because of water that had spilled out of the tyres when they were hit, and that brought the fuel window to reach the finish tantalisingly close - several cars including Ryan Briscoe and Marco Andretti tried pitting under the yellow for fuel top-ups in case the rest of the race ended up with an excess of cautions to make an extreme fuel conservation strategy viable.

The leaders stayed off pit road under the caution only to come in shortly afterwards in accordance with their pre-arranged race strategies: Castroneves and Hinchcliffe came in on lap 46 and dropped to 15th and 16th respectively as a result, which ended up removing both from contention for the race win in the latter stages of the race.

Effectively the field was now split into three groups of differing strategies: Power led the race ahead of Tony Kanaan and Graham Rahal, all of whom needed to pit shortly and had no intention of easing off their fuel use. From sixth on down was the second group headed by Marco Andretti and Justin Wilson who were going to try and make it home on fumes; and then there were the former leaders Castroneves and Hinchcliffe who led the lack of cars who could make it to the finish but who now lacked track position.

Power came in for his final stop on lap 53 with 18 laps remaining, and a fast stop saw him re-emerge just ahead of Andretti.
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Graham Rahal driving the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's No. 15 DW12 Honda, gave Penske Racing's Chevy-Powered DW12 Will Power a chase over the final 10 laps to capture a P2 Podium position at Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit Race 1 at Belle Isle race's end. Image Credit: Graham Rahal Instagram

The final ten laps saw Power on the ragged edge as he was forced to apply every bit of his talent to hold off Rahal to the chequered flag. Kanaan was well out of this battle and was five seconds off the pair as Power successfully clinched the win by just 0.3308s from Rahal.

"Just a great job by the team, putting me in a position to use our speed," said Power. "It's a massive win. It's a massive win for me, massive win for the team and especially for Roger and for Chevy. They've been trying to win here for a long time and we finally did it with a Honda trying to charge by."

"We've been fighting awfully hard to just finish where we have been finishing and so to finally get a result like this it means more than words," said Rahal, who had been suffering a frustrating season up to now in 2014.
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"That was hard work, very hard work," admitted Power. "I'm very exhausted."
[Reference Here]

Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit doubleheader at Belle Isle RACE 2:

Helio Castroneves and Chevrolet were the class of the field in Detroit on Sunday as he led his Chevy-Powered competitors, Penske team mate Will Power / Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing's Charlie Kimball, to the checkered flag and podium in the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit Race 2 Belle Isle. Image Credit: Team Chevy (2014)

This excerpted and edited from Racer -

IndyCar: Castroneves finds redemption in Belle Isle race 2  
By: Robin Miller - Racer.com - Sunday, 01 June 2014

Helio Castroneves may have had the fastest car Saturday and, due to some untimely caution flags, he wound up finishing fifth while teammate Will Power came from 16th to first.

The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner definitely had the fastest car Sunday afternoon at Belle Isle and nothing could deter him from victory lane.

Starting third in the Hitachi Dallara-Chevrolet, Castroneves completed a Penske perfect weekend with a dominating drive in the second of the Chevrolet Dual at Detroit. The 39-year-old veteran took the lead on lap 35, stretched his advantage to 13 seconds and then overcame a couple of late restarts to score the 19th win of his career and tie Rick Mears for 11th on the all-time win list. He led the final 35 laps and was clearly in a class of his own.
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Power, who made four pits stops and suffered a drive-through penalty for contact with Josef Newgarden on the opening lap, battled back to take second in the Verizon Dallara-Chevrolet.  
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Polesitter Takuma Sato led the first 10 laps in the AJ Foyt Racing Dallara-Honda but as his strategy went awry, he fell back in the pack, got spun by Ryan Briscoe, and eventually tagged the tire wall with five laps left to wind up 18th.

Mike Conway, with a first and a third at Detroit a year ago, crashed out of Saturday's race but qualified his Ed Carpenter Racing car fourth Sunday morning. He looked like the only driver with the pace to give Castroneves fits but a long stint on fading optional tires was not the way to go, and he plummeted down the field. He finished 11th.

Indy winner Ryan Hunter-Reay suffered through a miserable weekend. He crashed in qualifying Saturday and finished 16th in the first race. He smacked the wall in almost the same place Sunday on his first flying lap, started 21st and dropped out in 19th place with ECU failure.
[Reference Here]

Best descriptive Tweet:

Troubles give Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay 67-point weekend swing DOWNWARD - loses P1 lead to P3 in title #VICS #DetroitGP #IndyCar
— Edmund Jenks (@TheEDJE) 

With Penske Racing holding down the top two positions in the championship points race over Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay in P3, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Simon Pagenaud P4, and Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti P5, one has to get past Andretti's Rookie Carlos Munoz and Penske's Juan Montoya before reaching any Target Chip Ganassi driver. Last year's IndyCar champion Scott Dixon sits behind seven other drivers after seven races with eleven races to go ... just not the right direction for Scott or Chip.

Next weekend the Verizon IndyCar Series takes the show to the high banked tri-oval turns in Fort Worth, Texas, site of the most close finishes in IndyCar where Helio Castroneves grabbed onto, and held the championship points lead until the last race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana last year.

This excerpted and edited from NBC Sports -

IndyCar title chase may shape up as a battle of mental chess match
Tony DiZinno Jun 2, 2014, 1:30 PM EDT

This weekend saw Power take on the role of the villain, the masked avenger who made contact with Pagenaud on Saturday (no penalty, just as he also did not receive one in Long Beach) but did make contact with Josef Newgarden and Graham Rahal on Sunday (which did trigger a penalty).

Meanwhile Castroneves came out revitalized with arguably his best weekend in the series in years. He’s won races with the DW12 before, yes, but not with as much “he’s still got it” pace and gusto as he delivered both races this weekend, particularly Sunday. It was a seriously impressive mental bounce back after losing out in Indy.

Power’s mind has long been hard to decipher. He’s consistently been IndyCar’s out-and-out fastest driver since he joined Team Penske, but he’s never been fully able to keep it all together over the course of the season, and hasn’t yet captured an elusive championship. This year, he’s not making any friends, and he’s not focusing on points – only on driving the best he can every race. It remains to be seen whether that mindset will ultimately pay dividends.

Hunter-Reay is arguably IndyCar’s most versatile driver, as he excels on any of road courses, short ovals and big ovals. If he has even the tiniest of weak points, it’s on street courses, where he’s been plagued either by mechanical issues or slight mistakes the last year and a half. After Indy, RHR had a weekend nearly as bad as AJ Allmendinger’s last year in Detroit, and now must find a way to recover in Texas.

Pagenaud and Dixon are similar in that they both have a seriously steely resolve and exterior, and haven’t let issues get to them this year, at least publicly. Dixon’s Sunday drive from 22nd and last to fourth was one of those classic “don’t forget how good the Iceman/defending champion is” type-performances. Pagenaud, too, came back on Sunday following a rough Friday and Saturday.

What about Castroneves? He might have the best mindset going forward. At 39, he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He nails the game outside of the cockpit; he’s still IndyCar’s most recognizable star on a national level and he’s won everything he’s ever needed to in IndyCar. Except, of course, that elusive first championship.

The Brazilian is basically IndyCar’s walking, talking version of Pharrell’s “Happy!” but there’s still a burning desire to be the best when he straps his helmet on. He’s driving so much calmer, cooler and consistently than he was three years ago.

If Power and/or Hunter-Reay self-destruct around him, Dixon can’t make up the 140-plus point deficit (he’s 142 back now, and we’ll know likely by Pocono whether he still has a shot) and Pagenaud isn’t consistent enough to match the “big teams,” Castroneves may well samba into this year’s title.

Marco Andretti’s the remaining driver in the top five still with a shot at the title, but he’s at the point where he has to win – particularly at Pocono, given double points there – before you can really begin to factor him into title contention. Given his results consistency level though, you can’t rule him out of it, either.

How drivers and teams manage this summer stretch, both on-track and in their heads, will be fascinating to watch. 
[Reference Here]

The season now begins in earnest ... no excuses. Tune in to Twitter, RaceControl.IndyCar.com and/or NBC Sports to catch the action and assess to see who wants this championship the most:

6 JUN Friday - Practice 1 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM ET

Qualifications 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM ET

Practice 2 7:45 PM - 8:15 PM ET

7 JUN Saturday - Race 8:30 PM - 10:45 PM ET

... notes from The EDJE

Ryan Hunter-Reay ... from 'Rookie Move' to Indy500 winner

"GOT MILK?!!!" - Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay pours the traditional award of a post race winner's quart of milk over his head in celebration of being the 98th winner of the Indy500. Partial Caption & Image: Eric Schwarzkopf (2014)

Ryan Hunter-Reay ... from 'Rookie Move' to Indy500 winner

The Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) 2014 championship season has been a real roller-coaster ride for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series champion, Ryan Hunter-Reay (RHR), through these first five races of an 18 race season.

The lowest point for RHR and Andretti Autosport had to have been at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. With Ryan Hunter-Reay followed by James Hinchcliffe running strong in the lead for most of the race, Josef Newgarden threatened this march to the eventual win through a superb final pitstop from his Sarah Fisher Hartman crew to leapfrog to the lead on Lap 56 in Turn1.

On cold tires, Newgarden had a little wheel spin coming out of the Fountain Turn (Turn3) and RHR placed his nose diving into the apex of Turn4 causing a crash into the wall and collecting several drivers ... ending the races of Newgarden, Himself, Hinchcliffe, Kanaan, and etc. causing Andretti Autosport team-mate Hinchcliffe to say on a post wreck television pitlane interview: "a rookie move" "sad for Newgarden, TK etc."

RHR was a total goat for the move and he even had his team owner, Michael Andretti, was visibly very upset at messing up what would have been a double-podium finish for his team at the 40th running of the Long Beach Grand Prix. Of course ... Ryan Hunter-Reay, at the time, did not apologize.

The Indy500 opening ceremony along the front straight-away at the Pagoda. Image Credit: P29 qualifying/P23 finishing AJ Foyt Racing No. 41 driver Martin Plowman (2014)

Enter Alabama and the reworked, and famed, "Month Of May" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which, for the first time, featured a dedicated road course race, The Grand Prix of Indianapolis, and The Greatest Spectacle in Racing ... the Indy500.

Just four weeks ago, Ryan Hunter-Reay was crowned the winner of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at the Barber Motorsports Park.

After a huge crash marred the standing start of the  inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Simon Pagenaud went on to win where Ryan Hunter-Reay finished second and Helio Castroneves was third.

So far, so good for RHR who was looking to redeem himself ... but was still points behind Penske Racing's Will Power who had benefited from Ryan's "rookie move" at Long Beach with the win and a strong position on the VICS season points lead.

Ryan Hunter-Reay shares an intimate moment with his young son, Ryden, on pitlane before the Indy500. The Andretti Autosport family had custom firesuits made for the drivers who had young ones attending the race ... duplicated down to the very logos their father's suits had on them - to scale. Image Credit: @Liz Kreutz via Twitter

This excerpted and edited from The Detroit News -

Ryan Hunter-Reay excited to follow up Indy 500 triumph with race in Detroit
By David Goricki - May 26, 2014 at 11:44 pm - The Detroit News

Ryan Hunter-Reay is giving American motor sports fans a hero to cheer for in the IndyCar series.

Hunter-Reay will take the Belle Isle race track this weekend for the Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader with the prestigious title of Indianapolis 500 champion.

Basically, Hunter-Reay beats Castroneves by a mere 3 feet. Image Credit: INDYSTAR

Hunter-Reay, 33, became the first American to win the Indy 500 since Sam Hornish in 2006, and he earned the win in thrilling style, passing three-time champion Helio Castroneves on the final lap Sunday, then holding him off to win by less than a car length for the second closest finish in race history.

Penske Racing's 3-time Indy500 winner Helio Castroneves consoles himself just after the end of one of the most memorable Indy500 races since maybe the 1960's. An Indy for the ages. 150 laps without a yellow flag - followed by a crazy wild series of yellows and a red flag - followed by an intense battle between RHR and Castroneves. Helio started to get out of his car and then just dropped back in and held his head for a minute in complete disbelief. Somebody had to finish 2nd ... Caption & Image Credit: Norm DeWitt (2014)

Hunter-Reay talked about his win at Indy, his busy schedule and how he is excited to come to the Motor City in a few days during a phone interview Monday afternoon.

“I was running on instincts the last four or five laps, just went as hard as I could,” said Hunter-Reay, talking about how the lead changed hands several times between Castroneves and himself. “Helio knows how to win at Indy and he was tough to hold off. We ran hard but clean against each other and I felt we put on an excellent show.

“It feels so great to be an American Indy 500 champion. I idolized the Unsers, Andrettis and A.J. Foyt, all legends while growing up, had all their posters on my wall so hoisting that flag was so cool.”

Yes, Hunter-Reay quickly IS becoming the face of the IndyCar series, winning the series championship in 2012 and now the Indy 500. He has won eight races during the past three seasons, more than any other driver, and holds a 40-point lead over Penske driver Will Power (274-234) for the top spot in the standings.

Now, it’s on to the Motor City where Honda-powered drivers have won the last two years, spoiling the party of title sponsor Chevrolet and Roger Penske, car owner of Chevrolet-powered cars driven by Castroneves, Power and Juan Montoya.

“I love coming to Detroit,” said Hunter-Reay, who finished runnerup to Mike Conway in Race No. 1 last year and 18th in the second race. “It’s 180-degree opposite from Indy (2.5-mile oval). It’s a bumpy course, physically demanding, a street course similar to Toronto or Houston. There’s also a lot of points on the line so it’s going to be important and exciting.”
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Hunter-Reay ended Ganassi/Target racing’s run of four consecutive series championships in 2012 when he won four of the final six races to slip past Power by a 468-465 margin to become the first American to become series champion since Hornish in ’06.
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When Hinchcliffe was asked of the Long Beach fiasco in days leading up to the Indy 500, he replied: “Every driver is competitive and will go for it (lead) when an opportunity presents itself and Ryan will make that right move nine out of every 10 times. He’s the complete package, a very rounded driver. He knows how to get everything out of the car on qualifying and brings it on race day.”

Well, Hinchcliffe was also in position to win the Indy 500 with less than 30 laps remaining Sunday when he took out pole sitter Ed Carpenter while both were in the top 5. Hinchcliffe made it a three-wide situation and the two collided, taking them both out.

When Andretti and Hunter-Reay were in the press conference Sunday, the topic of Hinchcliffe’s move came up.

“Hey, he was going for it. It’s the Indy 500,” Andretti said of Hinchcliffe. “Had he pulled that move off, he’s in position to win the race.”

“Not enough patience,” joked Hunter-Reay. “Rookie move. James is a great friend of mine (laughing).”
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Yes, it is a game changer, a reason Hunter-Reay was set to open the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday, then appear on “The Today Show” before heading to Dallas Wednesday to promote a future race. And, an appearance on the David Letterman Show follows the Belle Isle doubleheader next week.

“It’s been crazy, not time to take a breath yet,” Hunter-Reay said. “I only had four hours of sleep.”

Well, that’s what happens Ryan when you win the Indianapolis 500. In fact, your life will never be the same.
[Reference Here]

So there is a fully redeemed Ryan Hunter-Reay in the VICS season points lead with Andretti Autosport team-mate James Hinchcliffe pulling a "rookie move' to change the complexion of the entire event.

The finishing drivers accomplishments in the top ten positions reads like a Who's Who in American motorsport racing at its highest levels.

As stated by The EDJE on Facebook soon after the event:

What a grand race for the DW12 era - Ryan Hunter-Reay and 3-time Indy500 winner Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves battle the last six laps to the end with RHR taking the win by the 2nd closest margin in 98 years.

Look at the names in the top 10 as well - Marco Andretti on the podium, Andretti Autosport's Carlos Munoz gets a 4th after finishing last year in P2, Penske Racing's Juan Pablo Montoya ... fresh from NASCAR finishes ahead of NASCAR driver stand out Kurt Busch who, again, drove a car fielded by Andretti Autosport. Four-time ChampCar World Series Champion Sebastien Bourdais at 7th followed by Penske Racing's former 2014 points leader Will Power ... who seems to be getting the hang of ovals, last row starter and Mazda Ladder rookie Sage Karam in 9th with J.R. Hildebrand in tenth who was going to win last year's race until he hit the wall on the last corner of the last lap handing the win to Tony Kanaan.

W-O-W !

Ryan Hunter-Reay can now lay claim to something that Helio Castroneves can not say for himself ... with this win during the "Month Of May", RHR has an Indy500 and an IndyCar season championship in his trophy case ... nice move!

... notes from The EDJE

Mr. Hank Williams and his 289 Cobra CSX-2227

Image Credit: Brandon O’Brien / Motor Driven Images (2014)

Mr. Hank Williams and his 289 Cobra CSX-2227
Article and Photographs:  Brandon O’Brien / Motor Driven Images

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Hank Williams at the recent “2nd Annual Tribute to Carroll Shelby” held in Gardena, California. 

Williams was an aspiring musician in the 1950’s when he determined that, “there was no future in it”.  Working at USC County hospital gave him enough money to acquire his first true sports car, a black MGA, which required some work.  Taking night classes at a local school he learned metalwork and was able to fix it up.  After joining the local sports car club he discovered that he was competitive in slalom-style events.  Around this time he was becoming frustrated with the lack of performance the MGA had and soon found a 1963 Healey 3000 Mk III. Once he stiffened it up he started winning events.

Image Credit: Brandon O’Brien / Motor Driven Images (2014)

By the early 1960’s he became good friends with a young lady from Oklahoma whose family was in the oil business.  Her allowance and his salary gave them a good lifestyle.  His hard work and talent was paying off in the competitive events when he noticed the Cobras that were turning up.  In 1964 he saw his Cobra at Norman Ford in Pomona.

Image Credit: Brandon O’Brien / Motor Driven Images (2014)

Possibly because he is an African American he was told that in order to purchase the Cobra he needed approval by the dealership, required cash, and due to safety considerations needed to pass a high-performance driving class (this was a Shelby American requirement). By this time he had his his SCCA license and was considered a professional race driver. One obstacle down and two to go.  Thanks to some assistance from his lady friend he was able to show up for one more “negotiation” with the $6,390.00 needed in hand.  After that it was relatively easy for him to get “dealership approval” and in December he drove out of the dealership in his new Cobra.

Image Credit: Brandon O’Brien / Motor Driven Images (2014)

Like all original Cobras Williams’ car (CSX-2227) was assembled by AC Cars in England and shipped sans motor, transmission, and differential  to Shelby’s Venice California facility.  The original order called for “Princess Blue” with Red interior, 1 of only 3 built in that exterior color. Although not an official Shelby color it was an AC Cars color and the car contains a certificate stating that fact.  For reasons unknown by Williams the color on his car is not true “Princess Blue” but more of a metallic silver-green shade.

The Cobra has over 140,000 miles on the odometer and shows a patina that comes with 50 years of driving. Although given a repaint in 1980 the car has never been to a body shop, rare for any car that age and even rarer for a Cobra. The car is all original down to the brass brads that attach the headlight bezels to the fenders.  Williams states that due to its originality it is used as a benchmark when judging other Cobras at Concourse events. Under the hood is the original 289 V-8 that has been rebuilt by Marvin McFee. The only competition modifications done were; “I fitted five-spoke American Mag wheels, headers, a 715 Holley, and modified the exhaust to the side.  Those English Armstrongs (shocks) were quickly swapped for Konis.  I bought all the bits from Shelby American and did the work myself.”  All the original parts he took off are still in his possession enabling him to bring the car back to original, as sold, 1964 specs.

Image Credit: Brandon O’Brien / Motor Driven Images (2014)

The Cobra was a daily driver into the early 1970’s. After that time it was used solely for competition events until 1979. Williams gave up using the Cobra in competition and started attending Shelby American Automobile Club  (SAAC) events. The car is considered the “worlds winningest 289 Cobra”, had the honor of being the only original privately owned 289 Cobra at the opening of the Shelby American Museum in Las Vegas, and made history when it was the first Cobra driven by an African American around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

Mr. Hank Williams considers the car a keeper and has no intension of parting with it.  One of the reasons, “It’s always a hit with the ladies”. Did he trailer the car to the event?  No, he drove it from his home near Rancho Cucamonga, about 65 miles away.

... notes from The EDJE

Inaugural Grand Prix Of INDY road course event pleases on many fronts

Gasoline Alley and the Pagoda at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - The inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis, by almost any measure, was a success. The month of May opened up with more than a few thousand people wandering the Speedway waiting for cars to get on track to shakedown. This second race added in the "Month Of May" wasn't a bad change at all. Image Credit: Helio Castroneves via Twitter

Inaugural Grand Prix Of INDY road course event pleases on many fronts

Last weekend, Speedway, Indiana hosted the first of two racing events that it hopes to package and fuse into an annual "Month Of May" motorsports celebration. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), famous for the endurance test and race that grew into the INDY 500 reworked the Formula 1 road course and the Verizon IndyCar Series held its first race on the 2.434-miles 14 turn infield road course that utilizes a portion of the famed IMS oval as part of the circuit with racers driving Turns 1 and 2 of the oval as well as the a long portion of the front straight ... in the opposite (clockwise) direction.

Racing on the road course in May went from being downright sacrilegious to highly anticipated. The track has received near universal praise from everyone who has walked, golf carted, or driven it. The typical response from drivers is that it will adequately highlight the abilities of the DW12 from an acceleration, braking, and cornering perspective. Image Credit: WFOpenWheel Network

When the race broadcast and venue is watched on phones, tablets, computers, and television screens one is struck by the unfamiliar familiarity. The Dallara DW12 cars belong here at this track but they look oddly different heading down the front straight with the famed Pagoda on the car's right hand side.

For those fans that have followed American open wheel racing over this last 10 years or so, this track layout plays on broadcast a little like the Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The G.I. Joe's Grand Prix of Portland was a Champ Car World Series race that was last held through 2007 and this venue still holds the record for the closest road course finish in Indy car racing history.

The pace and feel of a race on the road course at INDY felt a lot like watching a race on the Portland track only much larger to scale (the race held a Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport also qualifies ... but not as tight). The long front straight flowing into a contentious right-hander, followed immediately by a left with some speed at the end and, of course, some dodgey esses to contend with.

Simon Pagenaud wins third race in less than a year at the inaugural Verizon IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis and pulls to P3 ... within 6 points of VICS championship points leader Will Power. A member of the European press mentioned that the road course reminded him of Magny Cours. Simon agreed. Image Credit: Simon Pagenaud via Facebook

This excerpted and edited from Road & Track/Hearst Digital Media -

GP of Indy quiets the doubters
IndyCar's month in the motherland starts strong.
By Marshall Pruett May 11, 2014

According to the experts on the Internet, IndyCar’s inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis was destined to fail from the beginning. What some called an exercise in trampling more than 100 years of tradition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—where Indy cars had only run on the 2.5-mile oval since 1911—the GP of Indy, run on a revised road course, was an unqualified success.

Fans, the Indy traditionalists maintained, would reject the event, but something north of 30,000 people turned out in beautiful weather to watch Simon Pagenaud put in a picture-perfect drive to claim the win. It marked the Frenchman’s third Verizon IndyCar Series win in less than a year, and proved that even in the huge shadow cast by IndyCar giants Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi, a modest operation like Pagenaud’s Honda-powered Schmidt Peterson Motorsports outfit can play the role of giant killer at any time.

Grand Prix Of Indianapolis race start from above (Image Credit: INDYSTAR via Twitter) ...

And Grand Prix Of Indianapolis race start 6-wide from below (Image Credit: Marshall Pruett/RACER via Twitter) ...

Pagenaud’s memorable finish was overshadowed by a frightening start to the GP as pole-sitter Sebastian Saavedra stalled when the lights went green and was clobbered twice from behind—by Colombian countryman Carlos Munoz and then by Russian rookie Mikhail Aleshin. All three emerged unscathed, but that couldn’t be said for a number of bystanders, including the Mayor of Indianapolis, who was hit in the shoulder by a flying chunk of carbon fiber.

More contact later in the race led popular Canadian driver James Hinchcliffe to pull off track and retire after he was struck in the helmet by a front wing endplate from a car he was trailing. Approaching 180mph on the long infield straight headed towards Turn 7, the hit was hard enough to cause a concussion, leading Hinch to sit out Sunday’s Opening Day for Indy 500 practice, if not longer.

Safety improvements are expected for next year’s race, including F1-style debris fencing on pit lane.

Racing aside, it was a welcome change to see IMS take a bold step to build new fans with a road course that some felt was little more than sacrilege. Thankfully, after seeing the positive reaction from curious fans and first-timers, IMS has a new tradition that should stand the test of time.
[Reference Here]

Track view from a position in the stands around Turns 5 & 6. Image Credit: Brandi Iaria via Twitter

The track plays well on television and if the powers that be (Drivers and Race Control) figure out how to frikken START and RE-START the dang race, some folks would be in the points and not have to spend so much time and money on car repairs.

To some, however, this is why they tune in. A venue and a race pleasing on many fronts.

... notes from The EDJE

Will the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix deliver results?

Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett share race insights with the press at the post race press conference. Pruett and Rojas, co-driving the No. 01 Telcel Ford EcoBoost/Riley, dominated the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase on Saturday at the Long Beach Street Circuit, for their second-straight victory in the inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

Will the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix deliver results?

The stop at Long Beach was not a full IMSA event as it had been in years past. It was just a showcase involving two of the four classes the new, TUDOR Unified SportsCar Championship series (TUSCC) currently has outlined.

For the fan, the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach event turned out to be just a zest of what they had come to expect after seeing the American Le Mans Series with its full compliment of classes and cars, 33 cars in 4 classes in 2013, these last few years.

The Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach celebrated it's 40th year and it appeared as though that, through its trimmed down field of 21 entrants, the TUSCC did not really come to party at "The Beach" for its 100 minute (1.66 hour) sprint session - as this was the main event for Saturday. The overall main event would be the Verizon IndyCar Series race on Sunday scheduled for 120 minutes (2 hours).

For a formally endurance racing focused series, this seemed to have left most fans asking ... Is this all there is? There is always the next race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - there is sure to be some endurance racing there.

Brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor ushered in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Chevrolet Corvette Dallara Daytona Prototype (pictured on grid above) era for Wayne Taylor Racing by co-driving to a solid runner-up finish in Saturday's Tudor United SportsCar Championship Tequila Patron Sports Car Showcase on the scenic Grand Prix of Long Beach seaside street course. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

This excerpted and edited from IMSA - 


Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Celebrates New Race Series with Laps on the Streets of San Jose
IMSA Press Release

The Streets of San Jose may never be the same after drivers from the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship get their race cars into full gear as they do a few laps around Plaza de Cesar Chavez in the Mini Grand Prix of San Jose on Wednesday, April 30, 2014.

The TUDOR Championship competitors are in San Jose to share the high-revving powerful new race cars with fans in advance of the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda. Since it is the first race of the year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, May 2-4, 2014, the circuit wanted to share its motorsports passion with new audiences to kick-off the season.

San Jose Earthquakes defender Jordan Stewart will serve as Grand Marshal for the Mini Grand Prix of San Jose. He will be accompanied by TUDOR United SportsCar Championship drivers who include:

- SRT Motorsports, SRT Viper GTS-R, driver: Jonathan Bomarito;
- Performance Tech Prototype Challenge, driver: Charlie Shears;

#70 Mazda SKYACTIV Diesel-Powered Prototype - Credit Edmund Jenks (2014)

- SpeedSource, Mazda Prototype, driver: Sylvain Tremblay;
- Krohn Racing, Ferrari 458, GT Le Mans, driver: Nic Jonsson;
- TRG-AMR, Aston Martin V12 Vantage, drivers: Al Carter/James Davison;
- BMW Team Rahal, BMW Z4 GTE, driver: Bill Auberlen;
- Spirit of Daytona, Corvette DP, driver: Richard Westbrook/Michael Valiante,
- Michael Shank Racing, Riley DP Conti 2-seater, drivers John Pew/Oswaldo Negri, Jr.

The Mini Grand Prix of San Jose begins with race cars on display at 11 a.m., demonstration laps around Plaza de Cesar Chavez begin at noon and a fan autograph session with the TUDOR Championship drivers and Jordan Stewart begins at 12:30 p.m. There will also be prize giveaways including race gear and event tickets.

The Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda, features the Monterey debut of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, America's all-new premier sports car racing Series. The Series was created by the merger of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car and American Le Mans organizations, both of which had a long history of competing at Mazda Raceway. The TUDOR Championship features two styles of cars, Prototype and GT (Grand Touring). Each style of car has two classes, Pro and Pro-Am, meaning there are four classes of racing on track together, each with their own battle for the lead.
[Reference Here]

The problem is ... according to the schedule, there will be two separate races of two-hours apiece not any endurance racing, say all classes for four hours for example, as suggested - there are four classes of racing on track together - in the above press release.

The world has gone crazy and the uncertainty may push the interest off a bit if the product is not what fans have come to expect. Heck, on Saturday there is more endurance in the Continental Tire Challenge race which is scheduled for 150 minutes/2.5 hours, than there is for the TUSCC.

There is no need to mislead but there is a need to deliver and two sprint races (in the context of endurance racing) may not have the desired fan interest effect.

GTLM Class TUDOR United SportsCar Championship 40th Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach grid walk. Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2014)

Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, powered by Mazda 

EVENT SCHEDULE

2 May - FRIDAY

Practice 1 - Lamborghini 11:40 AM - 12:20 PM ET [8:40 AM - 9:20 AM PT]

Practice 1 - Continental Tire Challenge 12:35 PM - 1:20 PM ET [9:35 AM - 10:20 AM PT]

Practice 2 - Lamborghini 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM ET [12:00 PM - 12:40 PM PT]

Practice 2 - Continental Tire Challenge 4:40 PM - 5:25 PM ET [1:40 PM - 2:25 PM PT]

Qualifying - Continental Tire Challenge (ST) 7:10 PM - 7:25 PM ET [4:10 PM - 4:25 PM PT]

Qualifying - Continental Tire Challenge (GS) 7:40 PM - 7:55 PM ET [4:40 PM - 4:55 PM PT]

Qualifying - Lamborghini 8:10 PM - 8:40 PM ET [5:10 PM - 5:40 PM PT]

3 May - SATURDAY

Practice 1 - TUDOR Championship 12:35 PM - 1:35 PM ET [9:35 AM - 10:35 AM PT]

Race 1 - Lamborghini 1:50 PM ET [10:50 AM PT] (50 minutes)

Race Start - Continental Tire Challenge 3:45 PM ET [12:45 PM PT] (150 minutes/2.5 hours)

Practice 2 - TUDOR Championship 6:45 PM - 7:45 PM ET [3:45 PM - 4:45 PM PT]

Qualifying - TUDOR Championship (GTD) 7:55 PM - 8:10 PM ET [4:55 PM - 5:10 PM PT]

Qualifying - TUDOR Championship (GTLM) 8:15 PM - 8:30 PM ET [5:15 PM - 5:30 PM PT]

Qualifying - TUDOR Championship (PC) 8:40 PM - 8:55 PM ET [5:40 PM - 5:55 PM PT]

Qualifying - TUDOR Championship (P) 9:00 PM - 9:15 PM ET [6:00 PM - 6:15 PM PT]

4 May - SUNDAY

TUDOR Championship (PC/GTD) 1:15 PM ET [10:15 AM PT] (120 minutes/2 hours)

Race 2 - Lamborghini 3:40 PM ET [12:40 PM PT] (50 minutes)

TUDOR Championship (P/GTLM) 5:45 PM ET [2:45 PM PT] (120 minutes/2 hours)

As the old saying goes ... Racin', is racin' ... so let's go to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and see the first (and only) West Coast stint of the full field of TUDOR United SportsCar Championship teams, drivers, and race cars at the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, powered by Mazda - May 2-4, 2014.

... notes from The EDJE

Conway passes from P17 to win the 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

Mike Conway is the second driver for a one-car team. He was brought on to bring a winning edge to road and temporary street courses while the owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, focuses on his specialty of left-turn only racetracks. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

Conway passes from P17 to win the 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

The annual springtime motor sports ritual that set the table for modern day temporary street automobile racing events held its fortieth edition last weekend and it ended predictably ... sort of.

The 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach ended script-like to the casual observer, in that this street course favors drivers who figure out how to get the most out of off-camber concrete corners cradled in unforgiving walls of tire-lined concrete and rewards them with multiple wins - or at the very least, a high finishing order good for Verizon IndyCar Series championship points.

The podium finishing order would buttress this contention with Ed Carpenter Racing's street and road course driving specialist Mike Conway bringing home his second win here in three years, followed closely by Penske Racing's Will Power who was already a two-time winner, in 2008 and 2011, and keeping pace at P3 was Andretti Autosport rookie driver Carlos Munoz who had won here at Long Beach last year when he was in IndyLights.

Qualifications, however, delivered decidedly different results. A hat-trick of poor performance had the winning drivers of the last three years of the Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach missing out on the second round of Knock-Out qualifying structure which ends with the fastest six survivors of the previous two rounds race for the best time to settle the top six positions of the special 40th Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach standing start East of the Start/Finish line on Shoreline Drive.

Will Power stated that this year, he will not be worrying about the championship but only on wins. He has come to realize after being the 'bridesmaid' for so many championships that winning is the only thing. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

With last year's winner AJ Foyt Racing's Takuma Sato lining up at P15, 2011 winner Conway sitting at P17, and 2012 winner Power holding station at P14, it looked as though the script would favor a winner from the top ten positions - assuming few local Yellow Flags, great weather, and little passing.

This would leave the prediction to be a new winner presumably from Andretti Autosport's James Hinchcliffe, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing's Josef Newgarden, BHA / BBM with Curb-Agajanian rookie driver Jack Hawksworth, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Simon Pagenaud, Target Chip Ganassi Racing and 2013 ICS champion Scott Dixon, Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti, and Dale Coyne Racing's Justin Wilson, or a repeat win from pole sitter Andretti Autosport 2012 ICS champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, Penske Racing 2001 TGPLB winner Helio Castroneves, and KVSH Racing 4-time champion and past 2005, 2006, and 2007 TGPLB winner Sebastien Bourdais.

After showing that he is really ready to drive in the big leagues through P2 finishing position at the big show ... the 2013 Indy 500, Carlos proves he's ready for the temporary street courses as well with a podium finish at the 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. 5 starts | 2 Top 5 finishes | 2 Top 10 finishes. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

This excerpted and edited from New Track Record -

IndyCar edgy at Long Beach
By Mark Wilkinson - New Track Record, Published 14 April, 2014

The Verizon IndyCar Series has taken on a country club feel in recent years.  The drivers are all buddies. Before the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, James Hinchliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay even joked on camera about flipping a coin to see who was going to lead the first lap.  I wonder if those two still had their senses of humor after the race.

Humor is nothing new in IndyCar.  Eddie Sachs was known as “the clown prince of racing” in the 60′s.  Bobby Unser was not only shockingly honest as a racer and an announcer, he was also a born storyteller.  Still is.  A.J. Foyt’s humor was always sharp and biting.  Still is.  So it is nothing new that today’s racers are funny.  What’s different is the politically correct way they interact.  The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach certainly changed all that.

To spice up the broadcast, NBCSN brought in Paul Tracy, four-time Long Beach winner and notorious truth-teller.  Everyone just knew he would stir the pot a little bit.  Sadly, PT was just another talking head, saying nothing controversial.  Sigh.  I am sure he will get the message to go find the real Paul Tracy.

This all leads us to how a pretty good race became an entertaining one.  Bad moves led to bad feelings, sheepish honesty, and a few apologies that may or may not have been accepted.  Hopefully, it will lead to a little ill will.  Then maybe Paul Tracy can get on board and put the hammer down on some people.
----
The irony in the series is delicious right now.  The top dogs were forced to act like contrite backmarkers. Scott Dixon apologized for pushing Justin Wilson into the wall and the apology was UNACCEPTED.  Will Power apologized for punting Simon Pagenaud with his usual it’s-my-fault-that-it’s-your-fault line and the apology was UNACCEPTED.  Ryan Hunter-Reay apologized by saying a real racer goes for it when he sees the chance at exactly the wrong spot and his apology was UNACCEPTED.  I just love to see the shifty-eyed apologies of schoolboys caught in the act without a plausible story to tell.  Not ironically, Graham Rahal was his usual self and refused to accept any blame for anything.  Never change, Graham.  Both Michael Andretti and James Hinchcliffe were less than pleased with Hunter-Reay’s antics.

Simmering feuds, unaccepted apologies, and possibly a little bit of hate await us at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.
----
It’s good to see some of the politically correct veneer come off the series.  This is the racing and these are the racers people want to see.
[Reference Here]


Paul Tracy wasn't all that exclusively PC during the broadcast ... he did muse that if a Beaux Barfield sensibility toward Race Control had been in play when he was driving, he would have been penalized way less and won a whole lot more races.

Also, The Mayor of Hinchtown momentarily became the Sheriff and was laying down the law when he said he really didn't expect such a 'Rookie Move' and that he felt sorry for Newgarden, himself and all of the other drivers that had to be caught up in the mess at Turn #4.

THIS is entertaining competition for all … not wimpy, even though the whole deal looked as though it went by the script — few local Yellow Flags, good weather, and little passing until Lap 56. If that actually happened (save one rookie move), Ryan Hunter-Reay would have been a repeat winner with James Hinchcliffe (would have remained a Mayor) at P2, and Newgarden’s - See more at: http://www.opinionspost.com/conway-passes-p17-wins-long-beach-grand-prix/#sthash.cbdecVLu.dpuf

THIS is entertaining competition for all … not wimpy, even though the whole deal looked as though it went by the script — few local Yellow Flags, good weather, and little passing until Lap 56. If that actually happened (save one rookie move), Ryan Hunter-Reay would have been a repeat winner with James Hinchcliffe (would have remained a Mayor) at P2, and Newgarden’s cold black tires would have warmed up and he probably would own the last position on the podium.

A big 'rookie move' wreck in Turn 4, a blocked track Yellow Flag on Lap 56 of 80, and passing from P17 ... past P16 Penske Racing's 1999 TGPLB winner Juan Montoya, P15 Taku, P14 Power, P13 Kanaan, P12 Servia, P11 Munoz, and etc. through to P1 holder TCGR's Scott Dixon (who had to stop for fuel on Lap78), Mike Conway establishes Ed Carpenter Racing as an early odds-on contender for a team championship in 2014 with a repeat win for the 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach ... predictably, just like the script.

... notes from The EDJE

2014 Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race Interview With Scion FR-S #3 Phil Keoghan

2014 Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race Interview With Scion FR-S #3 Phil Keoghan

Pre-event interview with Phil Keoghan (@PhilKeoghan): Emmy award-winning New Zealand-born television personality best known for his role as host of the popular series "Amazing Race."

The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race's primary effort is to raise money for charity. Phil Keoghan has a long-time commitment to MS - Multiple Sclerosis - multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. About eight (8) years ago, Phil set a goal to use his celebrity and recognition to raise one-million dollars ($1,000,000) in his lifetime and was already able to hit this goal with a ride across America film effort. Later this year, he has planned a follow up film production of a ride across France where he plans to donate the proceeds of this production to MS as well.

Additionally, Phil appreciates the umbrella charity that the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race raises money for - "Race For Kids." He believes that if someone fortunate to have celebrity, one should dedicate a portion of their time, awareness, and energy to give back to the community. Since 1991, Toyota has donated more than $2 million to the "Racing for Kids" organization on behalf of this race and its participants.

Phil would not predict his chances at being able to win and donate the $5,000.00 first prize money to Multiple Sclerosis but in the interview he was very keen on the development of driving skills, especially the skill of driving a stick shift.

Further, Phil relates the many different situations where he was exposed to driving experiences that would have prepared him for this challenge ... including driving an IndyCar as well as the international driving situations presented to him during his many years at being the host of "Amazing Race."

Phil Keoghan's Amazing Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race challenge begins in earnest with the Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach Friday, April 11, 2014 11:30 a.m. Pro/Celebrity Race practice and 3:00 p.m. Pro/Celebrity qualifying followed on Saturday, April 12, 2014 12:00 p.m. Pro/Celebrity Race for charity (10 laps).

... notes From The EDJE

Andretti Autosport driver Carlos Munoz pre-#TGPLB40 interview

Carlos Munoz as he substitutes for Andretti Autosport driver EJ Viso in his DW12 for qualifications at the 2013 MAVTv 500, the final race of the IZOD IndyCar Series (helmet chin reads #Awake #Blessed #Grateful). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013) 

Andretti Autosport driver Carlos Munoz pre-#TGPLB40 interview 

Carlos Andrés Muñoz is a professional racing driver from Colombia. He currently resides in Miami. He currently drives for Andretti Autosport in the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series.

Interview Script:

We are here with Andretti Autosport's driver Carlos Munoz in a pre-race interview for the 40th edition of the Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach - Welcome Aboard!

(1) In a performance review, one notices that over the last two seasons in IndyLights, California has been pretty good to you with two wins at Auto Club Speedway with a 1st and a 5th at Long Beach - You've qualified P1 and won at Long Beach last year with the IndyLights series - Is there something about the track that benefits your driving style and sensibilities?

(2) Andretti Autosport has moved from Chevy-power to Honda-power - Given your brief and successful exposure to IndyCar last year, do you see any difference in the handling of the DW12 between the two power plants?

(3) A number of Colombians are now looking at the United States and IndyCar as a vehicle to top pro open wheel racing - how much does racing in Colombia prepare you for racing here in the United States?

(4) What made you decide to race in America as opposed to racing in Europe?

(5) How has racing under the Andretti Autosport banner changed your perception of what you are capable of achieving?

(6) Do you plan to do any Tudor United SportsCar Championship Prototype racing in 2014?

(7) Are you getting a fair amount of press in Colombia? Tell us more about your relationship with Juan Pablo Montoya.

FOOTNOTE UPDATE: Carlos Munoz finishes the race, after starting P6, on the podium at P3 behind Will Power at P2 and Mike Conway, who wins the TGPLB for a second time, at P1.

... notes from The EDJE

Formula Drift Championships begin 2014 season in Long Beach

Formula Drift Championships begin 2014 season in Long Beach 

Formula Drift 2014 Pro Championship begins its seven round national schedule by tearing up the streets of Long Beach for the 11th time. The course is set to use a portion of the back straightaway leading into the turns 9, 10, and Turn 11 hairpin of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach track.

Formula Drift cars line up to accept members of the gathered motorsports and celebrity media during the Toyota Pro/Celebrity track orientation and media day. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

This excerpted and edited from Formula Drift website -

As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life and establishes itself as the worldwide leader for the Sport. This high-skilled, high-powered motor sport where drivers intentionally maneuver their cars into well executed, controlled sideways slides at high speeds through a marked course, has professional drivers & teams competing in seven championship competitions in 2014.

Judged on execution and style, rather than who finishes the course in the fastest time, Drifting is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, and is often compared to the freestyle nature of skateboarding and motocross.

Formula DRIFT Fast Facts

•     Created first ever drifting world championship; brought together 32 drivers, 17 past and present championship, from 12 nations, representing 12 series
•     Created Formula Drift Asia Championship; first Pan-Asia professional championship
•     Created Formula Drift Pro Am Affiliate Network; bridge together various regional level series, the "minor league" for Formula Drift
•     7-stop Championship Series travels across the United States
•     87% of Formula Drift Fans are between 18-34 years old
•     Formula Drift is one of only a few sports to see a growth in attendance during the economic downturn in 2009 and 2010.
•     FIRST drifting championship in the world to be sponsored by non-endemic companies such as EA Games
•     FIRST drifting championship to have factory backed teams
•     FIRST drifting championship in the world to have an official, sanctioned competition on city streets
•     FIRST drifting championship to be aired on national cable & syndicated globally with a dedicated series of shows
•     FIRST drifting championship to be filmed and featured in high definition
•     FIRST drifting championship to be filmed and featured in 3D
•     Formula Drift has the MOST diverse driver field (nationality, age and gender) of any drifting series in the world and field of competition cars (year, make and model) of any drifting series in the world
•     Responsible for holding the MOST professional drifting events than anyone in North America
•     Held the HIGHEST attended drifting event ever

[Reference Here]

This excerpted and edited from RACER -

PREVIEW: Formula DRIFT Long Beach
Jen Horsey, RACER - Wednesday, 02 April 2014

The action has already begun. A media demonstration day Tuesday saw drivers Dean Kearney and Ryan Tuerck both hit the wall hard in a pair of unrelated crashes.

"It's an unforgiving track. It's really slippy and once you get into the marbles, there's no recovery from that," says driver Fredric Aasbo, who kept his Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC (pictured, ABOVE) out of trouble Tuesday. "It's a balancing act. You want to be able to find the limit, but that track bites your a** – if it goes wrong it's like a game of pinball, bouncing off the walls."

The motorsport calls for full commitment from competitors. Judges award points to drivers for smoky, sideways drifts based on criteria of speed, angle and style. While it is relegated to alternative status by racing purists, there is no arguing the high degree of car control required to deliberately hurl a sideways car into a corner and keep it pinned at 90mph, inches from an opponent's door.

"It is a race. It's not timed, per se, but leaving the other guy in the dust – or in the smoke – is still what matters most," says Aasbo.

And while both Kearney and Tuerck are expected to return to competition this weekend, it can be tough to bounce back from a tangle with the Long Beach course – especially given the power the cars are producing this year. This season is seeing a continuation of the incremental trend toward ever-increasing horsepower, facilitated by the series' open rulebook, which encourages development and innovation.
----
Perhaps more controversial [in this year's competition] is Formula Drift's decision to eliminate the third-place knockout round. Typically one of the most exciting battles of the weekend, drivers held nothing back in their attempts to earn the final spot on the podium.

Although the action was exciting, Sage said organizers made the decision for the fans. Too often, the third-place round often ran long as judges determined the competition too close to call and repeatedly called the drivers back to try again. Television schedules suffered and fans wore out. Third place will now go to the highest-qualifying driver who achieves the bracket.

"Our closest cousin, NHRA, doesn't run (a third-place round) either," said Sage. "We thought we would do away with it for one year and evaluate."

In a championship round, drivers qualify for one of 32 spots on the grid, then work their way through a series of head-to-head knock-out elimination tandem runs to the winner-take-all first-place battle. Qualifying for this weekend's main event takes place on Friday (gates open at 11 a.m.), with gates opening for the main event on Saturday at 10 a.m. The top rounds of competition get started with the official opening ceremonies Saturday at 3 p.m.

The following weekend, during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the drifting action returns to the streets of Long Beach with the Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge (pictured, ABOVE). The demonstration event is open to all weekend ticket-holders and takes place under the lights Friday and Saturday nights (April 11 and 12), with the action starting at 7 p.m.
[Reference Here]

Actually, for those who do not mind a little pre-season, pre-race party, on which one might meet some drivers and team owners, head over to The Federal Bar at 102 Pine Ave. just up from Ocean Ave. in downtown Long Beach. The action is set to begin at 6:00pm PT with drink specials offered all night and as an added treat, Formula DRIFT cars will be on display.

... notes from The EDJE

Pre-Season, Pre-Race Interview With 2013 IICS Champion Scott Dixon

Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon shares a first-time "Chevy engine" team moment with fellow team member Penske Racing's Will Power. Too weird to think of these two very competitive teams being linked together through an engine program ... especially since Dixon won the 2013 Championship with a Honda. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

Pre-Season, Pre-Race Interview With 2013 IICS Champion Scott Dixon

We are sitting down for a brief conversation with open wheel race car driver and 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Champion, Australian born, New Zealand native Scott Dixon. Welcome to the program.

The occasion finds Scott preparing for the first race of an 18 race season - the temporary street course at The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - that will showcase for the first time, points modifications for hitting milage marks, and later in the season, double points awarded for the three 500-mile events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Auto Club Speedway.

With the Dallara DW12 going into its third year and coming off of one of the most competitive years in recent memory some fans who had turned their back on open wheel racing in North America may be missing out on some of the most competitive car racing on the planet. It is not the same bunch of 3 or 4 drivers winning all the time. 2013 not only witnessed Scott Dixon’s third series championship, it saw 10 drivers from seven different teams climb the podium over the 19 races — four drivers for the first time.

Juan Pablo Montoyoa explains the difference between driving a 'Cup' car and a Dallara DW12. Dixon's TCGR team-mate Charlie Kimball and Penske Racing team-mate Will Power enjoy the exchange. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

Juan Pablo Montoya is returning to open-wheel racing for the first time since he left Formula 1 for NASCAR in 2006, this time with Team Penske. Coincidentally, 2006 was the last year Roger Penske Racing claimed an IndyCar Series Championship title.

New Dixon team-mate Ryan Briscoe studies the information displayed on the DW12 steering wheel. Briscoe and Tony Kanaan bring considerable Chevy engine experience to the four car Ganassi team. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2014)

At Chip Ganassi Racing, Franchitti’s seat has been filled by reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan. A fourth car has been added to the team to compliment you, Scott Dixon – with Kanaan and Kimball - for the return of Australian driver Ryan Briscoe, who parted ways with Team Penske at the end of 2012 and spent 2013 picking up rides between IndyCar Series and sports-car series.

Ganassi has also changed engines — from Honda to Chevrolet.

With this as a background going into the first race of the season …

 Interview Audio File >>>

1. Does the combination of a four car team and an engine manufacturer switch to Chevy at Fontana last season make it harder to defend your title in 2014?

2. It appears as if you have a combination of team-mates in Kanaan, Kimball, and Briscoe who have relatively calm personalities, does this make intramural sharing easier or is it more competitive under the surface?

3. Obviously, Juan Pablo Montoya is back with a ride in open wheel racing …. the early money says that while he will be getting a grip on things, his nature will see him in a controversy … mainly with a Ganassi car … are you guys keeping an extra eye on him at St. Pete?

4. What do you think of the complexity of the new rules for double points at the three big 500 mile oval races scheduled for Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Auto Club Speedway?  Should the Verizon IndyCar Series awarding more points for particular races or mileage marks?

5. Michele Rahal, our Motorsports Unplugged president and Formula One expert, says that the IndyCar Series, right now, is the best open wheel product in the world, given all the confusion in GP and the close lap-times being shown at the IndyCar test at Barber … what is your opinion?

Come on out to see reigning AND 3-time IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon compete, who, of course, will be hoping to repeat this year, as the Verizon IndyCar Series kicks off on Sunday, March 30 … with the opener at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Fla. … followed by the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13.

For those following the Verizon IndyCar Series on Twitter, use #VICS #spgp #tcgr #indycar #DW12 to index the conversation.

... notes from The EDJE

Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian will have Michael Lewis for Porsche GT3 Cup

Michael James Lewis is an American Race Car Driver from Laguna Beach, California. Michael's passion for racing is paramount and he enjoys every aspect of his racing career. The Laguna Beach, California native is known for his professionalism, work ethic, and he lives every day for motorsport. Image Credit: MJLRacing.com

Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian will have Michael Lewis for Porsche GT3 Cup

After spending several years honing his driving skills in European racing series, American Michael Lewis returns to his home country to compete this season in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. Michael will race in the series' Platinum Class while driving the No. 98 Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car.

With the merger of the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Road Racing into the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship this year, Michael's return to the United States racing scene is timely, as he sees plenty of opportunity to improve his racing skills in this IMSA-sanctioned race series. The IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge is the "opening act" for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with two 45-minute sprint races per event weekend

"This opportunity to race in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama with Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian is the perfect fit," explained Michael Lewis.

Tujunga, California-based Competition Motorsports has won three GT3 Cup Challenge championships, and is owned by Bob Faieta.

Of special significance, Michael and Competition Motorsports have formed a relationship with Curb Records and the Agajanian family for this 2014 season. The official entry for Michael's No. 98 Porsche GT3 Cup Car will be listed as "Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian." The famed Curb Records logo will be prominently displayed on Michael's No. 98 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car as well.

The finishing touches were being made on Michael Lewis's Porsche 911 to compete in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama at the Competition Motorsports shop in Tujunga, California. Michael and the team travel across the country to the series' first race of the season at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday, March 13. Image Credit: Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian

"I am honored to represent Curb Records and the Agajanian family on my Porsche race car this season," said Michael. "The No. 98 and Curb Records are synonymous with some of the most historic American racing entities, and it's very special to continue that legacy," he added, referring to the Agajanian family's famed Indy cars with the No. 98. "I would like to thank Mike Curb and the Agajanian family for their official involvement."

Michael and the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama will compete in 16 rounds at eight different race circuits during the championship season. Seven of these race event weekends will be held on America's famed race courses, which consist of Sebring International Raceway, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park, Watkins Glen International, Road America, Circuit of The Americas and Road Atlanta. Canada's famous Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will serve as the eighth track for the series' championship.

Sebring International Raceway will host the first race of the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama season in conjunction with the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship's 12 Hours of Sebring. Michael and the Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian team will arrive at the Florida track for the first of two practice days, beginning on Tuesday, March 10. The following day will be a "Promoter Test Day." Qualifying and the first 45-minute race of the season will take place on Thursday, March 13, with the series' second race scheduled for Friday morning, March 14.

In addition to racing in Florida, Michael is looking forward to visiting the other tracks on the schedule, including Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca, in California. "It might sound funny, but I've never gone road racing in my home state of California, and now I get to do that," added Michael.

As a young, up-and-coming Race Car Driver, Michael Lewis has competed in a diverse number of racing vehicles including Formula 3, Formula BMW, Ford Focus Midgets, Touring Cars, Late Model Stock Cars, Quarter Midgets, & Go-Karts. Image Credit: MJLRacing.com

Last season Michael competed in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport, and the previous two seasons he raced in the Formula 3 Euroseries and in Formula 3 Italia, respectively, with Italy's PREMA Powerteam.

The 2014 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama series schedule is as follows:

March 13-14        Sebring International Raceway
May 3-4               Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
May 23-24           Lime Rock Park
June 27-28          Watkins Glen International
July 12-13           Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
August 9-10        Road America
Sept. 19-20         Circuit of The Americas
October 2-3        Road Atlanta

With Michael's return to American racing, a number of his core sponsors, who have helped him both in the United States and in Europe, have returned, showing their commitment to share in his success. "I really appreciate my core sponsors staying with me and supporting me these past several years in my racing endeavors, and I look forward to representing their brands and promoting their companies and products. I am also honored to welcome my new partners."

... notes from The EDJE

Of Further Note:
Michael Lewis' No. 98 Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car 2014 sponsor lineup includes Curb Records, Eibach, Cometic Gasket, ASE, C&R Racing, McKenna Porsche of Southern California, Ed Pink Racing Engines, Buwalda Construction, Laguna Classic Cars & Art, Camisasca Automotive Manufacturing, Inc., Mönik, Performance Racing Tech-Talk, Realatrends Real Estate Services, Inc., RFMS Racing, Burger King, Val Lambros, M.D. F.A.C.S., Surterre Properties, Klotz Synthetics, Coast Fabrication, Racing Electronics, GoPro, Bell Helmets, Racing Goes Safer Foundation, JDR Graphics, Hobie Surf Shop Laguna Beach, and SACdesign.

K&N Pro Series returns to Irwindale!

The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season promises to be a year of exciting change for Clint Bowyer. The former paint-and-body man at Kansas car dealerships has moved up in the world. Image Credit: 5-hour ENERGY Racing (2014)

K&N Pro Series returns to Irwindale!
NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 MARCH 22 - Special Guest: 'Cup' Driver Clint Bowyer

Irwindale, Calif. - - After a two-year absence, all the short track action and excitement of the K&N Pro Series West will be back at "LA's Half-Mile Superspeedway" when the Napa Auto Parts 150 championship series event roars to life on Saturday night, March 22, 2014!
"We're all very pleased to have this top pro series back at Irwindale ... we really missed them," said Race Director Mike Atkinson. "These these drivers and their teams are some of the most competitive in the business.

If you haven't witnessed twenty-six K&N West drivers mixing it up on a fast half-mile track like Irwindale, you've really missed some very exciting short-course stock car racing."
This event will be the first race on the busy Irwindale Speedway calendar for 2014 and will feature a very special guest appearance by Clint Bowyer, driver of the #15 5-Hour Energy Sprint Cup Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Irwindale Speedway and Dragstrip has announced that it will honor its 2013 NASCAR and NHRA champions at a special dinner and awards ceremony at the Courtyard by Marriott Monrovia. The event is set for Friday evening, March 7 and will begin with an informal reception at 6:30pm followed by dinner at 7:00pm, with the awards presentations following directly thereafter.Image Credit: performanceracing.com (2012)

Tickets for the March 22 K&N event are now available on the website: www.irwindaleeventcenter.com as well as by telephone at the Speedway ticket office: 626-358-1100

SPECIAL NOTE: This year's season ticket package gives fans all 18 races on the Irwindale 2014 NASCAR calendar for the incredibly low price of only $99 and that includes the above K&N Pro race. Fans can further enhance their Speedway experience by adding close-in VIP $99 reserved parking at all 18 NASCAR events. There's even a "bundled" price of $189 for tickets and special parking at every event. More info. 626.358.1100

... notes from The EDJE