Dan Wheldon eBay Charity Auction Held In Memorial & Family Support

Memorial display on entrance to Conseco field for the Dan Wheldon Memorial service held in Indianapolis. Image Credit: Danial Incandela for IndyCar

Dan Wheldon eBay Charity Auction Held In Memorial & Family Support

Yesterday, October 24, 2011, eBay officially started posting items donated for auction of its Charity eBay Auction in memory of Dan Wheldon. 100% of the proceeds will go to benefit the the Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund. This effort had its spark of a start through the desire of one of IZOD IndyCar Series youngest drivers, Graham Rahal.

This excerpted and edited from eBay -

Dan Wheldon
June 22, 1978 - October 16, 2011
Charity eBay Auction In Memory of IZOD IndyCar Series Champion Dan Wheldon
Auctions begin October 24th and run for 10 days

Graham Rahal didn’t know what he was starting when he offered to auction the race-used helmet, gloves and shoes he used in Las Vegas to raise money for the family of the late Dan Wheldon.

Rahal’s gesture began an outpouring of support from celebrities and athletes around the world who wanted to donate memorabilia to raise money for the Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund.

“I certainly appreciate everyone’s support for Dan's Memorial Auction,” said Rahal, who recently completed his first season with Chip Ganassi Racing. “I never thought when I tweeted about auctioning my helmet that we would get this kind of reaction.”
[Reference Here]

NASCAR, LOWES liveried, "Lion Heart" visor-decaled racing helmet used in several races donated by El Cajon, California, native and five-time NASCAR Series Season Champion, Jimmie Johnson. Image Credit: eBay

It just becomes an additional grip to the heart to see the community and culture of motorsports come together over the tragic loss of one its most revered and respected figures.

Contributors include drivers and members from many competitive disciplines ... for example, people can bid on a surfboard donated by multiple World Surfing Champion, Kelly Slater ... a NASCAR, LOWES liveried, "Lion Heart" visor-decaled racing helmet used in several races donated by El Cajon, California, native and five-time NASCAR Series Season Champion, Jimmie Johnson (already catching its own auction action at $13,000 at post publish) ... Firestone Tire Table Signed by all 2011 Indianapolis 500 Participants ... Skip Barber Racing School 3 Day Session ... NASCAR driving legend, Mark Martin, donated a Mark Martin #5 Black Windbreaker Size L, Cap, #5 Round Decal & T-Shirt ... Indianapolis Colts Signed Helmet -- Peyton Manning, Donald Brown & More (team member signatures) ... much more!

Dan Wheldon Charity Auction reactions Tweet-By-Tweet:

DWheldonAuction Dan Wheldon Auction by GrahamRahal

First item is up! Taste of the Track-- Monticello Motor Club Racetrack Experience, NY r.ebay.com/fQGcOu

IndyCar IZOD IndyCar Series

The first item of the @DWheldonAuction is up for bid, new itemsevery two minutes! r.ebay.com/fQGcOu

DWheldonAuction Dan Wheldon Auction byBeccyGordon

Next item is @kellyslater surfing legends signed SurfBoard! Kelly Slater Signed Channel Islands 5'11 Whip Surfboard r.ebay.com/JtUIJx

pressdog Bill Zahren

Wheldon Memorial Auction Opens ..BID, ye BASTARDS bit.ly/uAgg66

dariofranchitti Dario Franchitti byscottdixon9

the bids have started on @DWheldonAuction , over $11k already for @JimmieJohnson helmet. I've got my eye on thatone!!

indy44 Matt Archuleta

Just broke $13,000 HOLY (Insert cussword here) RT @pressdog:$11,000 RT @indy44: Nice! RT @AllenWedge: Jimmie's helmet already over$10,000

BHA Bryan Herta

The @DWheldonAuction is live, all proceeds go tosupport the Wheldon Family. bit.ly/rfmZ1V

williamrast William Rast

The @DWheldonAuction is live, all proceeds go tosupport the Wheldon Family. bit.ly/rfmZ1V

BeccyGordon Beccy Gordon

I really want the @kellyslater board for our house! I know @RyanHunterReay asked him to donate it & Iwant it! ;) @DWheldonAuction

indy44 Matt Archuleta

Takes a couple minutes for video toload-> A public celebration of Dan Wheldon’s life bit.ly/smjzgf #Lionheart#IndyCar

DWheldonAuction Dan Wheldon Auction by AllenWedge - We promise there will be cheaper items coming. Wow never expected this. We have lots of team hats etc coming up in the next few days.

16AndGeorgetown James Black - $35k and counting. #impressive

SBPopOffValve Tony - The Mark Martin 1/64 signed diecast may end up being the most expensive 1/64 diecast ever - already past $300. @KendraTeam5

DWheldonAuction Dan Wheldon Auction by SBPopOffValve - Remember everyone this is only the start. Please stay tuned and keep bidding. There will be hundreds of items still to come!
-END-

May all of the competitors, fans, and people who have an interest in the sadness that is the tragic end of Dan Wheldon's life be able to put an exclamation point on the mourning process through the Dan Wheldon eBay Charity Auction held in memorial and Wheldon surviving family support.

... notes from The EDJE



[Article first published as Dan Wheldon eBay Charity Auction Held In Memorial & Family Support at Technorati]

Is Fisker Automotive Another Solyndra Style Waste Of Money?

ABC News focuses on the one Fisker assembly line already running in Finland. Some of those federal energy dollars were used on design plans. ABC interviewed Fisker head, Henrik Fisker who assured reporter Brian Ross the federal money was not being used to pay workers at the plant. Image Credit: Fisker Automotive, Inc.

Is Fisker Automotive Another Solyndra Style Waste Of Money?

We, at The EDJE, have a neighbor whose family was happy to tell me, about six months ago, that they had private investments in Fisker Automotive, Inc.

News broke this week stating that Obama's Department of Energy was acting as a venture capitalist by issuing a 500 million dollar plus loan to a car manufacturing company on the heels of the bankruptcy announcement of Solyndra, a solar cell manufacturer where the Obama Administration thought it was a good risk to place taxpayer money at risk in a company that they knew would go bankrupt.

The Fisker Karma, front view. Image Credit: Fisker Automotive, Inc.

This excerpted and edited from Newsworks -

Tactics of Delaware carmaker Fisker questioned by ABC News
By John Mussoni - October 21, 2011

ABC News partnered with the Center for Public Integrity to do a series of reports that aired on various broadcasts over Thursday and Friday. It pointed to over $500 million in U.S. Energy Department loans for Fisker to build new-age fuel efficient cars.

The failed new energy company, Solyndra, is also casting a shadow over Fisker Automotive and other new technology companies. The ABC News report raised questions about how federal dollars are being spent in getting the Fisker assembly line up to speed in the old Boxwood Road GM plant in Delaware.

The report points to a General Accounting Office report saying there is not enough oversight on how the money is being spent. The GAO report also states there aren’t enough trained engineers who can analyze whether companies like Fisker and its chief competitor, Tesla Motors, are spending money appropriately.

ABC News focuses on the one Fisker assembly line already running in Finland. Some of those federal energy dollars were used on design plans. ABC interviewed Fisker head, Henrik Fisker who assured reporter Brian Ross the federal money was not being used to pay workers at the plant.

There is a tone of skepticism in both reports about whether there could be another company that fails despites federal backing.
----
Delaware has money tied to Fisker as well.

The state of Delaware has a big stake in Fisker’s success. Part of the deal struck in October 2009 was a $9 million grant that would off set utility charges while Fisker started the necessary changes needed to change the assembly process from what was left behind with General Motors to the Fisker assembly line. To date the state has paid $5 million, according to Governor Jack Markell’s office.

The state has also invested another $12.5 million in a loan to Fisker that will be converted to a grant if hiring goals are met. There have been 100 people hired so far in 2011. The goal is over 2,000 workers to be in place by 2013.
----
A Fisker spokesman told Fox Business Channel what the company meant to say was that full distribution would not begin until 2013. The spokesman said the company was still on track to begin production a year from now.

The Delaware facility looks about the same as it did when General Motors shut down the plant in July 2009. The water tower still has the GM logo. There are padlocks on the fences where hundreds of workers used to work.
[Reference Here]

Fisker Karma, rear view. Image Credit: Fisker Automotive, Inc.

When I came home, I could not wait to write the following:

"I just found out today in the news that you (and your dad) have nothing on me, in that, I am an investor in the Fisker Automotive, Inc. too! We have great taste.

This is NOT a Solyndra type of deal that the Obama Government made because there is actually a market for well conceived, well designed, limited production run boutique automobiles ... no matter the sales price. The solar panels that were supposed to be produced at the Solyndra could only be made for $6.00 in a $3.00 solar cell market price world.

I hope to see Henrik Fisker again at the LA Auto Show."

As per Fisker - Not a single dollar of the DoE loans has been, or will be, spent outside of America. All expenditures are reviewed by PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers) on behalf of the DoE. Image Credit: Fisker Automotive, Inc.

This excerpted and edited from Fisker website -

Fisker Statement re: Misleading News Reports
ID: 567 | 10.21.2011

There have been stories in the media today commenting on the Department of Energy (DoE) loan guarantees Fisker Automotive received. We wanted to give you some more information.
----
Not a single dollar of the DoE loans has been, or will be, spent outside of America. All expenditures are reviewed by PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers) on behalf of the DoE.

After receiving the DoE loan, Fisker made it a priority to create U.S. jobs which led to the purchase its own assembly plant in Delaware where we plan to establish production of our second, higher volume, line of vehicles (Project Nina).

There are currently over 100 workers reconfiguring the Delaware plant so that Fisker will be ready to begin hiring a skilled hourly workforce to producing its Nina platform vehicles in the U.S. for sale around the world. Many of these Delaware costs are covered by the DoE loans.

For the Karma program, the DoE loan money was used solely in the U.S. to fund design, engineering, and integration work.

Only private equity financing, of which we have raised over $600 million so far, has been used for costs not covered by the DoE loans, of which only a small part is production costs in Finland.

The majority of our private funding has been used to create jobs, including 650 people at Fisker’s headquarters in California, over 100 at the Delaware plant and many more at various suppliers throughout the U.S.

At the inception of the company, Fisker explored the possibility of producing the Karma in the U.S. However, there are no contract manufacturers like Valmet in the U.S., and none of the established domestic automakers were willing to partner with Fisker to provide a manufacturing option in the U.S. that would work for the Karma program. Our assembly arrangement for the Karma was in place before the DoE loans were approved, and has been widely reported on since 2009.

There is no link between Fisker Automotive and any political party. We are politically neutral – our focus is on building luxury electric vehicles.

More than 45% of the components of the Fisker Karma sedan are manufactured by approximately 40 suppliers located in the U.S. Some of our biggest suppliers in the U.S. include A123 Systems (Li-ion battery), General Motors Springhill Engine Plant (gasoline engine), Goodyear (tires) and TRW (regenerative braking system).
----
With the help of DoE loans, Fisker has already created hundreds of U.S. jobs, with thousands more in the near future. Ultimately Fisker is a high-tech American car company that we’re confident will be an American success story to be celebrated.
[Reference Here]

So, is Fisker Automotive another Obama/Solyndra style waste of taxpayer money? If the former design director of Aston Martin and the once president and CEO of BMW's DesignworksUSA, Henrik Fisker has his way, we think not.

... notes from The EDJE

[Article first published as Is Fisker Automotive Another Solyndra Style Waste Of Money? at Technorati]

Post Dan Wheldon Tragedy Reaction Review To Safety On Banked Ovals

A memorial to Dan Wheldon is displayed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the British-born driver was killed in an accident on Sunday. Image Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images via guardian.co.uk

Post Dan Wheldon Tragedy Reaction Review To Safety On Banked Ovals

The safety debate centers on the fact that IndyCar Dallara vehicles, which all have the same bodies and engines, can not avoid pack racing at very high speeds on a circuit as small and banked as the Las Vegas track, and this sets up a condition that is dangerous with open-cockpit, Indy-style cars. The wide track bed combined with steep banking and the mushroom shaped vortex wash that comes out from behind the cars, set up a very unstable mix.

Driving the Go Daddy No. 7, Andretti Autosport Dallara, Danica Patrick posted the fastest practice time with a staggering 224.719 mph on Oct. 13. After learning her time, Patrick's reaction proved prophetic.

"It's friggin' fast here," said Patrick. "Almost a 225 lap is like Indy speeds. The track is nice and smooth and we’ll be three-wide out there, which will be exciting. The race is going to be crazy and the crashes will be spectacular."

Danica, who will be driving in NASCAR next year, was not the only driver talking up the danger of the course in the days before the race.

"It's so fast and you're so close to each other, it's exciting," veteran driver, and IMS Radio commentator, Hewlett-Packard sponsored Davey Hamilton told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, also noting that he expected four wide racing. "There's really no room for error."

Driver comments after the Wheldon tragedy where 15 cars were collected in a fiery mess confirmed the fear of this unstable mix.

"We all know this is part of the sport," driver Oriol Servia said of the danger. "We all had a bad feeling about this place in particular just because of the high banking and how easy it was to go flat" out on the throttle.

"Within five laps people started to do crazy stuff," Dario Franchitti said immediately after the accident. "I wanted no part of it. I love hard racing, but that to me is not what it's about. I said before, this is not a suitable track. You can't get away from anybody. One small mistake and you have a massive wreck."

"Now we need to rethink the way we're doing things," said Tony Kanaan, who started on the pole.

The Dallara IR-05 was built specifically to be driven in excess of 230 mph and protect its driver in the event of an accident at those speeds. Its carbon fiber chassis was designed to break apart during a collision and absorb the forces of a series of massive impacts while keeping the cockpit surrounding the driver intact.

Since its introduction in 2005, only one driver, Paul Dana, had died behind the wheel of the Dallara before Sunday. In a freak accident during practice for the 2006 season opener in Homestead, Fla., Dana lost control of his car and hit a damaged vehicle that had come to a stop on the track in front of him head-on, at an estimated speed of 176 mph. In a bit of irony, Dan Wheldon went on to win that race. Since then, the cars had been used in 100 races and covered more than 500,000 miles in competition without any loss of life, and fe
But one thing the vehicles can’t do is prevent an accident like the 15-car pileup that took the 33-year-old Wheldon’s life.

Driver James Jakes, whose car was damaged in the incident, added that “unfortunately, it’s something I think a lot of us thought might happen. We practiced with no more than five or six cars in a group and now we’ve got 34 ... there was going to be some trouble.”

During the 15 car collection in turn #2, Wheldon’s car got airborne and came into contact with the catch fence above the wall. The metal mesh fence is designed to keep vehicles and debris from leaving the confines of the track, but can cause additional damage in the process.

“It is one of those things that when you are racing you are always aware that there are risks,” Dan Weldon teammate, Alex Tagliani said. “But you never think it is going to come to that."

“I am very sad and angry,” expressed Alex. What angered the 38-year-old was that no one listened to the drivers’ fears over the conditions before the race. Tagliani felt that, like NASCAR, when it revolutionized driver safety after the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001 at Daytona International Speedway, IndyCar must look at doing the same in its series.

“If we are going to come back to these (1 1/2-mile banked ovals) we are going to have to change the aero packages to slow the cars down,” continued Alex. “It is just not right that some one has to die to make those changes.”

One thing that Tagliani proposes is that drivers, team owners, track owners and IndyCar bosses get together in the off season to talk about what can be done to make racing both better and safer.

“There is definitely things that need to be discussed and things to look at,” Tagliani concluded. “We for sure have to talk to the series bosses. Right now my mind is so confused. We have to talk about racing these types of cars on these types of race tracks. I don’t think tracks like the mile and a half at Las Vegas is the right thing for us.”

On Friday, IndyCar President and CEO Randy Bernard announced that the series plans to return to Las Vegas for its finale in 2012, and the organization has not yet said if it is reconsidering that decision.

In an interview with Fox Sports in the wake of the crash, former CART/ChampCar driver and current NASCAR star A.J. Allmendinger said, “obviously, with the new car coming in, it needs to be safer, but there are tracks that they don't need to race at.”

A template situation that IndyCar could have learned from as it relates to high-banked mile and a half ovals happened in 2001. CART/ChampCar, one of the two open-wheel racing series that later combined to form IndyCar, was forced to cancel a race at the Texas Motor Speedway after drivers complained in practice about getting dizzy and blacking out from the g-forces created by the high speeds that their cars were capable of on the steeply-banked 1.5-mile oval. In this case the rules were changed to slow the cars down through downforce and engine set-ups at subsequent events held at the track.

(ht: various news services - FoxNews/Huffington Post/Toronto Sun - for quotes and background on the Dallara IR-05)

The two biggest words that stand out the most, if one were to read between the lines, in all of these post Dan Wheldon tragedy driver reactions to safety on banked ovals - Race Control.

Upon reflection ... Race Control has been the overriding story (race call miscues effecting championship points standings, recommended car set ups, and venue management) for the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series World Championship season and the last season of the Dallara IR-05.

... notes from The EDJE


[Article was first published as Post Dan Wheldon Tragedy Reaction Review To Safety On Banked Ovals at Technorati]

Dan Wheldon Killed: The First and Final Laps, Tweet by Tweet

Will Power and Dario Franchitti as they wait for the command to start engines and begin the race to decide who will be 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series champion. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)


Dan Wheldon Killed: The First and Final Laps, Tweet by Tweet

The season finale of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series gets played out here in the land where gambling is king and glitz is the salve that makes everything work. This is the last official race with the old Dallara chassis that helped to establish the Indy Racing League (IRL) and was the equipment used to secure the merger between the ChampCar World Series (CCWS) and the IRL through the last three years.

Thirty-four cars will take to this short 1.5 mile oval for 300 miles and every effort has been made to field all the equipment that can roll and race because this will be the last time these Dallaras will be used by this racing series.

One example as to what can happen when one works hard to take old parts and stitch together a car to race happened when James Jakes had to exit the second practice session on Friday early in a fiery smash in turn #2 due to suspension failure. These 200mph Dallara cars are not supposed to do this.

James Jakes driving for Dale Coyne Racing as he coasts to a stop as fuel flairs up along the wall. Image Credit: Yahoo.Sports.Com

This race may be officially named the IZOD IndyCar Series World Championship presented by Honda ... but we will call this exercise The Duct Tape 300 Tweet-By-Tweet:

CGRTeamsChip Ganassi Racingby LVMotorSpeedway - We're about an hour away from the green flag here @LVMotorSpeedway for the @IndyCar season finale! Catch the action-packed race LIVE on ABC!

NewmanHaas Newman Haas Racing - @OriolServia with friends @MichelJourdain and @AdrianF007 yfrog.com/o0211ruj

Green Green Green - The flag flies at the Duct Tape 300

Everyone gets off without a hitch - the field of 34 cars are up to speed at over 200 mph

Dario Franchitti moves ahead of Will Power to put him more points down.

Cars go three wide in most of the corners around the track ... very close racing

Lap 10 of 200
 

SBPopOffValve Tony - Danica in the middle, three-wide. She's thinking, "I can't wait until I'm doing this at half the speed."

Crash Crash Crash - Lap 12 of 200

Eight cars involved, one car flies in the air, one on its lid

Dale_Nixon Dale Nixon - Holy crap this does not look good..

99forever Steph@MoreFrontWing - Can't breathe. #indycar

Red Flag after 12 laps

kart58 Paige - God... that looked like Indy 1973 carnage. Not good. #indycar

UPDATE – 15 cars collected in the mess on turn #2

DRRIndyCar DRRIndyCar - Bia says she's sure she hit debris at slow speed.

toomuchracing Pat W - Will Power's car is involved and he's out of the race, Dario Franchitti is champion

Verizon Penske Racing's car driven by Will Power. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks via broadcast image (2011)

Sebastian Saavedra touches a car next to him with left wheel as he seeks to get out of the top groove and this sets off the chain reaction
 

DRRIndyCar DRRIndyCar - Assessing the damage to the 24 and 11. Both drivers say their cars are probably going to be able to continue.

pressdog Bill Zahren - RT @rosslancaster: @pressdog RT @f1fanaticlive: Rice, Power, Mann, Lloyd, Wheldon, Viso, Tracy, Kimball, Schec… (cont) 

PantherRacing Panther Racing - Appears JR is out of car and OK.

IndyRacingNut Tony Wittrien - Anyone with word on Wheldon's condition? Please?

SBPopOffValve Tony - Oh shit. The yellow tarp is on Wheldon's car.

shagers Shane Rogers - That tarp is a major, major concern. #indycar

99forever Steph@MoreFrontWing - Bad. RT @JennaFryer WTF is the yellow tarp? #indycar

toomuchracing Pat W - Out of the race per ABC: Power, Cunningham, Hildebrand, Howard, Bell, Scheckter, Meira, Kimball, Mann, Rice, Viso, Lloyd, Mann, Rice

specutainment Midweek Motorsport by radiolemans - 12 cars out in huge shunt at Vegas. Power involved,Dario made it thru. Red Flag. Press room very quiet.

Replay of video taken from Will Power’s car camera … Will takes off and gets launched airborne and turns 180 degrees and lands tail first

toomuchracing Pat W - Hoping the yellow tarp on the car is just a yellow tarp on a car and not a sign of something bad

Dale_Nixon Dale Nixon - That in-car footage on @12WillPower is frightening. That wheel almost came right into his camera

IndyRacingNut Tony Wittrien - Just felt compelled to give my 2yr old son a big hug.....#PrayForWheldon

UPDATE - Dan Weldon taken by heliocopter to University Hospital … all other drivers are under their own power.

pressdog Bill Zahren - Decisions made immediately post-trauma are not usually sound. RT @DriveAvailable: @SBPopOffValve That's racing. Don't over-react please.

 

colinsato Colin Sato by toomuchracing - Paul Tracy says there are a lot of younger drivers who don't know how to react. He was around for G. Moore and J. Krosnoff. #indycar

 

specutainment Midweek Motorsport by radiolemans @ @nellietellie another one of those creepy moments at the track when everything goes quiet - even the press room were shocked.....

Will Power has been resubmitted to the field infirmary for further observation

This posting will become updated when more information is available - cars out (13) are #17 Wade Cunningham, #4 JR Hildebrand, #22 Townsend Bell, #15 Jay Howard, #57 Tomas Scheckter, #83 Charlie Kimball, #8 Paul Tracy, #59 EJ Viso, #77 Dan Wheldon, #19 Alex Lloyd, #30 Pippa Mann, #12 Will Power, #44 Buddy Rice.

Two cars are damaged but may continue are #14 Vitor Meira and #18 James Jakes.

END

Randy Bernard, President and CEO of the IZOD IndyCar Series announces in the Media Center that Dan Weldon passes away from unsurvivable injuries. Pippa Mann, Will Power, and JR Hildebrand were transported to the hospital for injuries and observation.

GRAND PRIX ASSOCIATION OF LONG BEACH STATEMENT REGARDING DAN WHELDON

JIM MICHAELIAN, PRESIDENT & CEO, GRAND PRIX ASSOCIATION OF LONG BEACH:

“Our hearts are saddened to hear the news of the passing of Dan Wheldon. He was a great representative of our sport and personified what the IZOD IndyCar Series is all about. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Susie, his children and family. He will be missed.” -TGPLB-

STATEMENT FROM ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT ON PASSING OF DAN WHELDON

“It is with extreme sorrow that we have lost one of our champion drivers today. Dan was an Indy 500 champion and IndyCar Series champion with Andretti Autosport-and one of our closest competitors. Dan brought such enthusiasm and passion to the sport not often seen in motorsports. We will remember Dan’s tremendous racing accomplishments with our team as well his infectious personality. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to Dan’s family, racing team and friends today. Dan is one of IndyCar’s greatest champions.”

... notes from The EDJE

Kentucky 300 - Carpenter Inches Out Franchitti Tweet-By-Tweet

It's Ed Carpenter in the Dollar General Sarah Fisher Racing Dallara by a nose and a Push-To-Pass on the Downy soap sponsored Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti (just 0.0098sec at the line, the closest finish at Kentucky and sixth closest in series history) who get extra points for leading the most laps. Image Credit: Paul Dalbey

Kentucky 300 - Carpenter Inches Out Franchitti Tweet-By-Tweet

Will Power took the championship lead over Dario Franchitti by 11 points ... now 12 with the Peak Pole award during qualifications ... after his runner-up finish two weeks ago in Motegi, Japan.

On ovals, Power and Franchitti trail Scott Dixon for the A.J. Foyt Trophy honoring the best driver on oval tracks for the ICS season. Motegi winner Dixon leads Franchitti 181-164 with Power an additional 19 points behind.

Dixon faces elimination from the overall championship this weekend, at 59 points behind Power. If he can't close to within 53, his title chances are officially over.

Power and Franchitti have been closer on ovals than it might appear on the surface, as Power looks to secure his first title. The Australian actually holds a qualifying edge, 7.67 to 7.83, from the six oval races this season.

Hoping for a good result this weekend are Helio Castroneves, the 2010 Kentucky winner, and Ed Carpenter, the 2010 Kentucky polesitter and twice defending runner-up finisher. While Carpenter's Sarah Fisher effort showed impressive pace in qualifying at both Indianapolis and Texas, it's been largely a struggle from there this season.
(ht: racer.com)

The following is a feel for the Kentucky 300 as it happened via entries limited to 140 characters as seen on the social communications web portal, Twitter (with a few added live blogging entries from The EDJE). Welcome to the Kentucky 300, Tweet-By-Tweet!

kvracingKV Racing Technology

Driver Introductions are underway, hope u have tuned into @versusindycar

tial99 Tia by indy44

They are really workin driver introductions @KySpeedway! We've got flames of fire, sparklers of fireworks & Van Halen "Right Now". #indycar

its_meatballCorey Ashenfelter

Anyone have the radio broadcast, safety team & race control scanner frequencies for todays race? #indycar#kyspeedway

seeuatthefrontKatie

Having fun introducing mom to the current #IndyCarfield a bit at a time. She likes the 2012 car, too :-D

NewmanHaasNewman Haas Racing

Being told we are being recognized on the @VersusIndyCar broadcast. Let us know if you hear it!

MoreFrontWingMore Front Wing

Not a particularly warm welcome for Danica. She'll get better next year.

tracksideonline TrackSide Online

Crowd abysmal. Nothing else to say, really.

Oriol Servia as he sit in his Telemundo Newman Haas Honda Dallara office getting ready to race. Image Credit: Newman Haas

NewmanHaasNewman Haas Racing

AWESOME! "@LewisFranck:@NewmanHaas right after Chickenfoot! Polaris Hardest Working Team award clip. Then showed Oriol."

asapsportsASAP Sports

KENTUCKY INDY 300 interviews bit.ly/oFK4I2w/ Scott Dixon Dario Franchitti Will Power Graham Rahal IZOD #INDYCAR

eddstrawF1Edd Straw

Good to see @DBattistinimaking his IndyCar debut. Covered some of his races when he won the UK Caterham Superlight Championship in 2003!

TheEDJEEdmund Jenks

An all CCWS alumni front row to start this OVAL race with Power and Rahal - The evolution of IRL to IndyCar - #indycar

Drivers, Start Your Engines!

shagersShane Rogers

Need to train the pit techs when 1 is not hot to say "1 cold", not "1 not". Not sounds a lot like hot. #indycar

IndyCarPRINDYCAR PR

Field is rolling for the first pace laps.

Formula1Paddock Formula 1 Paddock

IndyCar time!! quite a few brits in tonights race!

GREEN GREEN GREEN! – Lap 1 of 200

The field takes the Green Flag to start the Kentucky 300, the next to last race in the IZOD IndyCar Season. Image Credit: IndyCar_Aldia

NegativeVORPEric Hamme

Clean start. Surprised. Good job everybody. #indycar

estradawriting Christopher Estrada

Will Power leads the first lap. #IndyCar

Dan_BrunellDan Brunell

I interested in seeing how Race Control screws the #Indycarrace up today. They have to be running out of ideas by now.

Lap 10 of 200

f1fanaticliveF1 Fanatic Live

Power has a slight margin over Rahal, who has Hinchcliffe right behind him. Franchitti up two places to ninth. #indycar

tial99 Tia

Sheriff Deputy in stands. Guess they're serious about the rules! I'm not standing but my feet can't stop bouncing! Shaking Stands. #indycar

BrunoTarulli34Bruno Tarulli

#IndyCarOtro link: bit.ly/mZo43t

Lap 20 of 200

Dario passes Dixon to take over P8 … up from P11

IndyCarIZOD IndyCar Series

Graham Rahal and James Hinchcliffe are battling for second! Power up by 0.6983 seconds.

indy44Matt Archuleta

Bell +12 Briscoe +8 Wheldon +7 #IndyCar

seeuatthefrontKatie

Love watching @Hinchtownmaking @GrahamRahal's life difficult. Can tell Hinch has him rattled. #IndyCar

f1fanaticliveF1 Fanatic Live

Hinchcliffe still very close to Rahal but can't find a way past, Power one second ahead. #indycar

Lap 30 of 200

99foreverSteph@MoreFrontWing

Suspect the changed aero rules are the reason. RT @gochrisuniverse No pack racing. Why would Firestone alter their tire compound? #INDYCAR

Dario passes Carpenter and RHR on Lap 34 for P6

amberclevelandAmber Cleveland

Helio has a water leak in the car...due to engine change just before start. Helio pitting now #IndyCar

tial99 Tia

Castroneves concerns with car. Coming in. #indycar

Lap 40 of 200 – Clean & Green from the “Drop”!

Dario slips back to P9, Dixon moves up to P7 followed by Carpenter at P8

AirNickVNick Van De Sompele

love to see all of the 15 people that still care about indycar are at the race today!

cristina_CHCHTV Cristina Tenaglia

"@IndyCar: Graham Rahal and James Hinchcliffe are battling for second! Power up by 0.6983 seconds."#kentuckyindy300

Lap 50 of 200 Pit Stops begin

Will Power and Ana Beatriz get together – Beartiz is sent out in front of Power

Lap 56 of 200 – Dario Franchitti leads with the top 10 being Hildebrand, Andretti, Dixon, Rahal, RHR, Carpenter, Hinchtown, POWER, and then Briscoe … Castroneves’ day is done

ingridmaeIngrid S

Tough break for Helio. #IndyCar@KySpeedway

Lap 60 of 200

amberclevelandAmber Cleveland

RT @spunk72: Anybody but Dario. Seriously. #IndyCar

A full field races hard behind the leaders at Kentucky Speedway. Image Credit: IndyCar_Aldia

msarmbrester Michael Armbrester

Incredible pit shuffle there! Dario 8th to 1st, Will Power 1st to 8th. Bonkers! #IndyCar

Rachaelwith2AsRachael

I don't quite understand how Dario has put himself in front but I'm loving it!! #indycar

GL2488Glenn Locke

Uh oh, in #indycar it could become a Ganassi 1 2

KySpeedwayKentucky Speedway

.@IndyCar Ky Indy 300 Lap 65: @dariofranchittileads @JRHildebrand by .1030: 3-5: @scottdixon9 @MarcoAndretti @GrahamRahal @RyanHunterReay

Lap 70 of 200

Power drops to P9 – Franchitti, Hildebrand, and Dixon are 1-2-3!

Beard77Wronkle

Watching the IndyCar Kentucky 300. Good race very fast lots of action so far. #IndyCarDominates

Indy_ModeMandy Valentine

I hate Robin Miller. Just FYI. One thing i don't miss about living in Indy is him. #indycar

Lap 79 – YELLOW Flag for debris

Lap 80 of 200

estradawriting Christopher Estrada

Debris in the backstretch, CAUTION Lap 80. #IndyCar

Anthony_StuartAnthony Stuart

Phantom debris cautions, coming soon to an INDYCAR race near you

shagersShane Rogers

Yellow for Will Power's toys which have been thrown out of the pram in turn 2. #indycar

Will Power comes in for adjustments and repairs from the bump given him by Ana Betriz – Down to P18 down by 24 points if race were to end this minute.

StwrdDiscretion Steward's Discretion

Strictly speaking, duct tape isn't approved equipment. But I'll let it go, @12WillPower . THIS time.#indycar#fastesttapeintheworld

FollowAndretti Andretti Autosport

Nice job Team @GoDaddy! RT @IndyCar Danica Patrick gains the most spots coming out of the pits, moving up four spots to ninth.

shagersShane Rogers

Might be two years in a row Will Power's lost the championship due to a hole in his car on a 1.5. Remember Texas 2010? #indycar

Lap 90 of 200

More sidepod repairs to Powers car – sad really.

Verizon Penske Racing's Will Power in for a splash of ethanol and tires late in the race to maintain position of not losing more points to rival and three-time IZOD ICS champion, Dario Franchitti. Image Credit: Paul Dalbey

Lap 91 of 200 RESTART

IndyCarIZOD IndyCar Series

Green flag on Lap 91. Franchitti, Dixon, Andretti, Hildebrand and Rahal lead.

driverswanted07Ross Bynum

Can I start the "Anybody but Franchitti" chant? #Indycar

LewisFranckLewis Franck

Curious. IndyCar teams have spare noses. No spare sidepods available?

KF4LMTMac McCormick III

@CathyCardinalNothing IndyCar Race Control does anything surprises me.

Report from IMS Radio – Castroneves sidepod will not fit as per team leader Cendric.

Lap 100 of 200

JaysKeysJay's Keys

@IndyCar We're halfway through Kentucky Indy 300. Franchitti leads Andretti by .0626 secs

indy44Matt Archuleta

Will and Liz's dinner table might be pretty quiet tonight. #IndyCar

Lap 110 of 200

motorsport_feed Motor Sport News

#INDYCAR: Conquest Racing Kentucky qualifying report dlvr.it/p1hVk #motorsport

jmcc09 Jenna

Briscoe is tumbling down. Now P15. Anyone at the track listening to his radio? #indycar

GL2488Glenn Locke

Andretti has been trying to pass Franchitti for the last 32 laps. #indycar

Lap 120 of 200

Top 10 are Franchitti, Andretti, Dixon, Carpenter, Hildebrand, Rahal, Hinchcliff, Servia, RHR, and Kimball.

99foreverSteph@MoreFrontWing - Wheldon was up to 12th and is now back in 15th. Seems to be slowing a touch. #IndyCar

3Paige14Paige

Will wouldn't have been where he was in the pits if it weren't for his bad qualy run in New Hampshire. #indycar

IndyCarIZOD IndyCar Series

Carpenter has made his way back into the top 5, currently in 4th between Dixon and Hildebrand. Power still holding in 23rd, Patrick in 12th.

Lap 130 of 200

tial99 Tia

Heard over radio "Dont get stupid up there." #indycar

Power within a few laps of going 1 Lap down.

amarquis32Andy Marquis

Franchitti is the luckiest person in motorsports. #IndyCar

Lap 140 of 200

estradawriting Christopher Estrada

Pit stops beginning once more. #IndyCar

Service Central/Ganassi Racing's Graham Rahal in tow behind Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti ... and ahead of Franchitti team-mate Scott Dixon, Telemundo Newman Haas' Oriol Servia, and eventual race winner, Dollar General Sarah Fisher Racing's Ed Carpenter. Image Credit: Indy Social Grid

toomuchracingPat W

yikes RT @estradawriting: WHAT. Carpenter's helmet coming apart and he's holding left side bolts together with his hand. #IndyCar

YELLOW Flag –

KF4LMTMac McCormick III

That was scary. Simona got sideways on pit lane and hit a KV crewman waiting to do pit stop. #IndyCar

WxTurtleColin Z.

Simona was behind Wheldon in pits, was leaving- cold tires, you figure.#indycar

99foreverSteph@MoreFrontWing

Pit stops under yellow. Hold your breath. #IndyCar

f1fanaticliveF1 Fanatic Live

Now Andretti in a pit lane collision with Lloyd and Viso. #indycar

Venom Energy Andretti Autosport team as it tends after Marco Andretti's Honda Dallara. Image Credit: Bret Kelley

theamyedixonAmy E. Dixon

What is going on at this #IndyCarrace!?

dbsdadTim Blum

Did everyone just forget how to drive?

The Venom Energy car of Marco Andretti unable to continue in the race.

Lap 147 RESTART

SnoopDarrJames Darr

Talking racing, or Ashley Judd? #indycarRT @paultracy3: Dario could have more luck than Jimmy Johnson

Lap 150 of 200

Top 10 being Dario, Rahal, Dixon, Carpenter, RHR, Servia, Hinchcliff, Cunningham, Patrick, & Briscoe.

allancaleyLincsWhite

@IndyCar "Oh Dear! Is that Will Power about to go a lap down, let's throw a yellow and say there was debris on the track!!!"

indy44Matt Archuleta

Correction-> Marco said his Dad was right, it was his fault in the pits. #IndyCar

BJUNQUEIRABRUNO JUNQUEIRA

Too many drivers mistakes in the pits, the mechanics are paying the price @IndyCar what do you think @paultracy3 ?

Lap 160 of 200

tial99 Tia

Race to finish is gonna be about fuel. Graham doesn't have enough to make it to the end. Plan is to draft off Dario. #indycar

CharlesRBlackCharles Black

@67edcarpenter to P3!! He's flying! Clearly not worried about saving fuel. #IndyCar

Lap 167 – YELLOW Flag

GL2488Glenn Locke

Ana BEATRIZ HAS CRASHED HARD, yikes #indycar

NegativeVORPEric Hamme

Ouch, that looks like a big whack for Bia. #indycar

stevie_mariee StevieMarie Nicole

Rough day in @IndyCarracing. First Simona then Andretti now Beatrice....

_michaelcurry_Michael J Curry

So look out RT @IndyCar: Pits are open.

davedusickDave Dusick

“@IndyCar: Yellow flag, Ana Beatriz hits the wall.” <-- Franchitti, Rahal & Carpenter lead them into pits... Should be final stop. Lap 169.

Lap 170 of 200

burk992Chris Burk

Most are staying out. This is gonna get stupid. #indycar

hotrod_dqDale Quinn

If you think the stands at Dover are empty, check the Indycar race from Kentucky on Versus. You see more people at a bus stop!!!

NegativeVORPEric Hamme

Unfortunately, I think this race can be called. Dario's going to win unless Ed pulls off a miracle. #indycar

msarmbrester Michael Armbrester

First half of race: pretty clean. Second half of race: giant hot mess. #IndyCar

Dan_BrunellDan Brunell

Everything has fell into Dario's lap today. #indycar

tommifinntommifinn

#IndyCar#Beatriz: at least some justice, happy to see you on the wall. you deserved it!!!

Lap 178 of 200 – RESTART

Top 5 are Franchitti, Dixon, Carpenter, Ryan Hunter-Reay, & Oriol Servia … Rahal at P16 … Power last on lead lap at P19.

Close, high-speed action at the line during the Kentucky 300. Image Credit: Brett Kelley

Carpenter passes Dixon for P2 and plants himself on Franchitti’s tail.

ThrashdannyDaniel Mayhew

an amazing indycar race action all over the place and incidents in the pits

Lap 180 of 200

besweeetBrian Sweet

Really want Carpenter to win this IndyCar race. 10 laps to go! Finish is going to be super close...

mveilensteinMarcal

9 laps left at Kentucky. Top 10 within 1.5s. #indycar

99foreverSteph@MoreFrontWing

When you don't see them for a while, you forget how nutty these restarts are on ovals! Breathe... breathe... #indycar

f1fanaticliveF1 Fanatic Live

Carpenter side-by-side with Franchitti for the lead. #indycar

KySpeedwayKentucky Speedway

.@IndyCar Ky Indy 300: @67edcarpenter led lap 185, still tight with @dariofranchitti

CharlesRBlackCharles Black

Dollar General is really getting it's money worth from @67edcarpenter and @sfracing #IndyCar

amberclevelandAmber Cleveland

Ed is giving Dario a run for his money. 17 laps left - Dario, Carpenter, Dixon, Cunningham, RHR, Hinch, Briscoe #IndyCar

99foreverSteph@MoreFrontWing

I'm yelling at the TV. I never do that! COME ON, ED! #IndyCar

Lap 190 of 200 – Carpenter is counted as the leader of the lap by a fraction of an inch.

SpeedFreakBashBash Beard

Man I love this dogfight between Ed and Dario! #INDYCAR

thehestercutionBrinton Hester

It looks like Carpenter isn't using his overtakes #indycar

EOlmosEduardo Olmos Ayala

Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. #IndyCar

ingridmaeIngrid S

Now this is the kind of finish we live through the yellow finishes for!#IndyCar

Ed Carpenter uses final Push To Pass to catch Franchitti to the line with about an eight inch margin.

WGRFastTrackDave Buchanan

Woooo Ed Carpenter narrowly beats Franchitti for #IndyCarwin at Kentucky

MVBN15 MVBN15

That was a fantastic @IndyCarrace! Congrats to @67edcarpenter@SarahFisher67 and everyone else! #indycar

Team owner Sarah Fisher answers questions about the decision by Dollar General to not renew sponsorship of Ed Carpenter (seated next to Sarah) and Sarah Fisher Racing next year in the post race press conference. Image Credit: Indy Social Grid

indyram500Mark Thompson

@DollarGeneral PLEASE don't pull the plug on SFR and Indycar.....patience pays off....what a race!!!

Beard77 Wronkle

Great to see a small team like SFR pick up a huge win on an oval. Hope we see multiple teams winning next season as well. #IndyCar

BUbacktobackChris Love

@67edcarpenter @sarahfisher67 @tomasscheckter Can't wait till Vegas!! This will be lights out!! Way to go Ed. Nice work today!!

chrischiltChris Chilton

What a race that was, pit-lane mayhem, controversy, brilliant wheel to wheel racing. And a winning margin of 1/1000th of a second! #indycar

END - Results and background story here>>

In a post race interview, Penske Racing’s Tim Cendric gave this response when asked how this result effects Will Power’s chances at closing out the season as a winner at the last race in Las Vegas October 16th, 2011 – “Well, you know with a 1-2-3 finish [by Penske Racing ... as we did at Infineon Raceway], Will Power will become champion at the end of the race.”

A tall order since the 18th and final race of the season will feature a 34-car field for the IZOD IndyCar World Championships presented by Honda, which represents the largest field in series history and largest outside Indianapolis since 1997 at Las Vegas.

Going into the last race on October 16, 2011 in Las Vegas we will see Dario Franchitti lead Will Power by 18 points with Scott Dixon bringing up the rear with his A.J. Foyt Trophy in hand at 55 points with no chance for the championship ... but all team-mates (3 for Ganassi and 2 for Penske) may have an affect on just who ends up with the IZOD IndyCar Series championship.

… notes from The EDJE