Busch Light Clash At The Coliseum Groundbreaking Ceremony

Shovels full of fill & aggregate base material officially begin the transformation of the floor of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to a quarter mile paved short track that will pay host to Next Gen NASCAR stock cars boasting 670 HP. Pictured with shovels from left to right: Dave Allen - Auto Club Speedway, Kevin Daly - Coliseum Assistant General Manager, Ben Kennedy - NASCAR Sr. VP of Strategy and Innovation, and Michael Waltrip - Analyst for FOX Sports and 2-time Daytona 500 winner.   Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Busch Light Clash At The Coliseum Groundbreaking Ceremony

As construction begins on the quarter-mile, asphalt track for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, NASCAR and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum executives, racing event staff from Auto Club Speedway, and FOX Sports personality/2-time Daytona 500 Winner Michael Waltrip conducted a groundbreaking ceremony and were available for one-on-one interviews. 

For the first time since 1956, when NASCAR held a race in Chicago’s Soldier Field, the famed stock car racing organization will kick off its season not only inside a major city stadium, but with a short quarter-mile track. It will also be historic for the cacophonous debut of NASCAR’s seventh generation cup cars: The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Toyota TRD Camry and Ford Mustang. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

The thought came up in the annals of NASCAR, why don't we hold the introduction of the future racing platform in an attention-getting and iconic environment and do this while capturing the essence of first races on a short track where most drivers begin to learn their craft - racing!?!?!

This thought came to life in September and the Gods of motor culture, living in Los Angeles, did not allow any real blockages in the path of these great NASCAR visionaries and creative planners.  

To Anheuser-Busch executives who run the sponsorship side of the business this back-to-back big weekend visibility on a national basis, managed out of the West Coast, is all in a big brewers portfolio. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

The folks at Budweiser, the Busch Light title sponsor of the Clash, were more than happy at the open dates of February 5th & 6th 2022 since this did not conflict with their other large sponsoring duties set to be shown in activities surrounding the NFL's final game of the 2021 season - Super Bowl LVI, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, February 13, 2022.  

Auto Club Speedway's Dave Allen is looking forward to "hosting" two races in the same month, in the same geographical basin, with the same racing series. Dave shares his thoughts in this Social Media VIDEO done live while standing on the new dirt of the floor inside the LA Coliseum. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021) 

NASCAR and Los Angeles City also began to recognize that the best folks to aid in managing the elements of a stockcar racing event - the timing, the crowds, the legalities - just might be the management of the Auto Club Speedway. It happens that after 3 races in Daytona, including the Daytona 500, the 4th season championship points paying race on February 27th, 2022 is planned to be held at Auto Club Speedway that is 2.0 miles in a very large "D" shape.  

Why of course they can handle a non-points paying race on a very small quarter-mile (micro) "D" shaped 2% banked track on the floor of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

This beginning layer protects the surface that was perfectly laid down for sporting contests on turf back in 2018 when the Coliseum went through a modernization upgrade with event suites and media facilities. Click HERE to see the NASCAR transformation in their first commercial advertising the Busch Light Clash. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Busch Light Clash By The Numbers

130,000 Sq. Ft. of plywood and visqueen field protection

9,200 Cubic Yards of packed fill & aggregate base material

3,840 Ft. temporary track walls

6,900 Sq. Yds. asphalt track & apron paving

6,800 Sq. Yds. asphalt infield paving

1,400 Ft. track catch fencing

1,400 Ft. safer barrier perimeter 

Modification To Tunnel Entry

ENDS

META/FB Photo Gallery Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021) >>>

Without any clear description (in ads or website descriptions), one is left to assume that given the formats of the qualifications heat races and the length of the Busch Light Clash race overall plus the note of "Modification To Tunnel Entry" the pits for preparing/repairing cars for racing are outside of the stadium.

Michael Waltrip gets interviewed by KCBS2/KCAL9's Jim Hill. Michael was very impressed at the plans for this track and the use of the new Next Gen racing platforms. Said Michael “If this event goes well, you could see pop-up racetracks in a lot of big cities around America and NASCAR being the center of the stage.”   Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

This day's ceremony on December 21, 2021 took place exactly 100 years to the date after the venue's original groundbreaking and further follows two Summer Olympics (1932 and 1984 ... and scheduled again in 2028), two Super Bowls, a World Series, University of Southern California Trojan home football games, Los Angeles Rams, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Dodgers, Billy Graham Crusade (record 134,254 attendance), a motocross event that utilized the steps of the Peristyle end covered with dirt while the floor was transformed into whoops or moguls, Stadium SUPER Trucks 2013 Round #3 LA Coliseum SST On NBC with similar modifications to the floor and Peristyle end, concerts by the Stones, U2, the Who, Springsteen and numerous other headliners and JFK’s acceptance speech at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.

NASCAR Images >>>

This race track is seriously becoming a reality. Image Credit: NASCAR via YouTube Commercial

Welcome NASCAR's Busch Light Clash to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, featuring the new seventh generation racing chassis and engine, which marks the first time the preseason Clash will be held outside of Daytona International Speedway since its inception in 1979. Again, it will give the sport its first competitive look at the Next Gen car on February 5 & 6 in a non-points event, embellished through a pre-race concert by Pit Bull. 

NASCAR Cup Series Clash exhibition race broadcast coverage GREEN Flag drops Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the L.A. Coliseum >>> Schedule HERE.

... notes from The EDJE

FEATURED ARTICLE >>>

TAGS: NASCAR, Busch Light Clash, Auto Club Speedway, Michael Waltrip, USC, Next Gen, 670 HP, The EDJE

Auto Club 400 NASCAR Qualifications Format Renders A Stubbed Toe To Series

He was undefeated in each round of qualifying - @austindillon3 wins the #BuschPole! Image Credit: @ACSupdates (2019)

Auto Club 400 NASCAR Qualifications Format Renders A Stubbed Toe To Series

NASCAR fans who took Friday off from work were treated to a bone-headed display of over-reaching gamesmanship by all of the teams fielding the 38 cars (especially the top 12) set to participate in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Southern California's only NASCAR race of the 2019 season.

NASCAR reset the template of what propels these custom made representations of stock cars that adhere to a formula designed to equalise the competition in the field and reduce the overall costs associated with the equipment needed to participate in a 41 race 2019 season. This 2019 reset effectively reduced the horsepower while increasing the downforce which has the effect of keeping the cars glued to the track at lower speeds. The other effect that, at some tracks has missed the prediction, effects competition is some felt this would increase "pack racing" where the lead car punches through the air having the cars behind the lead car work less hard to achieve full speed until a group of cars pull out and around the lead car, passing at a greater speed overall thus having an advantage of having ones car squarely in the pack for a higher average speed.

With this background knowledge, and having the qualifications for NASCAR be the fastest speed achieved by the top 12 previous fast times during the third qualification round/session shootout to set the field (as opposed to having each car take to the track for a singular three lap try at a top speed as how it is done in IndyCar at oval track races), all of the teams waited until the last minute or so to attempt to put in a lap to be scored.

Consequently, no team was able to actually register a lap time at a race speed before the time of Qualification 3 round ran out causing the race director staff at NASCAR to make the call that the order would be set from the fastest lap times set during Qualification 2 round.

Fans were never treated to the race off by the 38 drivers - and the top 12 who will compete in the Auto Club 400 to see who will start at the most coveted positions at the head of the "PACK" ... which is exactly why many who follow motorsports competition would never become an embedded fan of NASCAR, ever.

This type of tepid race management and competition thinking is a blight on what it means to actually be in competition as a professional pursuit. If this were the only time this type of strategy (lay in wait and reduce the damage) were employed, then Friday's odd call to use the times achieved in Qualification 2 round in order to fill the top 12 of the field would amount to a stubbed toe in the landscape of professional stock car racing ... but this points to a much larger problem - over regulated over management of a racing template placed on formula racing.

Here's what others are observing from this somewhat unusual NASCAR Race Control call to set the top 12 of the field on Qualification 2 round track times achieved.

STARTING ORDER FOR AUTO CLUB 400 >>>

Penske Racing #22 AAA Southern California Ford Mustang of Joey Logano being pushed from Tech with the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains including Mt. Baldy in the background during Qualifications at Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Tom Stahler (2019)

This excerpted and edited from Crash.net -

Austin Dillon claims ACS pole after no one makes a time
By Josh Farmer

Austin Dillon takes pole in wacky qualifying session

Austin Dillon proved that you have to be lucky and good in qualifying for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at the Auto Club Speedway.

The driver of the No. 3 Dow Chemical Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing led the first two 10-minute qualifying session on his way to his fourth career Busch Pole award. NASCAR reverted to the Q2 times when no driver posted an official time in the five-minute pole shootout.

With drafting key to a fast lap at the 2.0-mile superspeedway, drivers hesitated to make runs in all three sessions. The final group was the most extreme with no one taking off until less than a minute to go, which was too late for anyone to cross the start/finish line in time to turn a lap.

Every session featured a last-minute dash with nearly all drivers waiting until just over a minute to go to attempt their qualifying lap. Kurt Busch was the only driver to break the trend in Q2 and logged a lap of 40.644 seconds by himself.

The rest of the field took their laps with just over a minute and 15 seconds to go. When it was all said and done, Dillon was the man on top being the only driver in the 39-second bracket (39.982s).

Dillon, who also won the pole at ACS in 2016, noted that finding an open hole in the pack made all the difference in session two.

“That goes back to round two with Andy Houston (Dillon’s spotter), getting us a hole,” said Dillon. “Our Dow car has been good the whole day, I felt that it was the fastest car here. It feels good to get that pole.

The pole is Dillon's the fourth of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career.
[Reference Here]

As the Monster Energy Cup cars of NASCAR line up at the pit end line waiting for a good time to take the track and set a time for Qualifying, it looks like the traffic on the I-10 during rush hour. Image Credit: Image Credit: @ACSupdates (2019)

This excerpted and edited from Racer -

Boos send a message about the current state of NASCAR qualifying
By Kelly Crandall

NASCAR will look to have “something different in the queue” by the time Monster Energy Cup Series drivers show up to qualify at Texas Motor Speedway in two weeks.

After all 12 drivers advancing to the third and final round of qualifying at Auto Club Speedway on Friday failed to post even a single qualifying lap, Scott Miller, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, suggested tweaks would have to be made.

Ultimately, the top 12 for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 were determined based on second-round speeds, giving RCR’s Austin Dillon the pole.

“I saw obviously what our fans don’t want,” said Miller outside the NASCAR hauler after an all but silent final qualifying session. “Having the fastest 12 cars wait until they couldn’t get a time posted on the board, making kind of a mockery out of qualifying, is not what our fans expect.

“It’s a little bit on us in that we hoped things would go better than that. It’s an exciting show when they’re all out there on the race track, but obviously, there’s work to do [with the format] on our part so things like that don’t happen. We want to provide our fans with what they deserve, and we and the teams didn’t do a very good job of that today. We’re all really disappointed.”

In both the first and second rounds of qualifying, drivers sat at the end of pit road until late in the session. Then, charging onto the track, drivers tried to position themselves where they felt would be best in line to get a draft.

No one wanted to be the driver pulling the line and in the final round, no one was willing to leave the pits first.

Texas will be the next time the series qualifies at a track where a draft could come into play. Next weekend, the series visits the Martinsville short track.

“We will definitely make some tweaks to [qualifying], not quite sure what,” said Miller. “We don’t want to go back to single-car qualifying. There may not be another way, but we want to exhaust every possibility before we [go back] because that’s not as much fun, not as much of a show as the group situation.

“We’ll try to figure out a way to adjust the group qualifying thing and not go back to single car; but we got some work to do on that.”

Chase Elliott acknowledged no one wanted to be first out on the big Fontana track today. The Hendrick Motorsports driver doesn’t know what the fix should be, but said it was certainly entertaining to see drivers drafting and battling to set up the right gap to benefit from in the first two rounds.

Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, who will start second and ninth respectively, said the fans in the grandstands clearly voiced their displeasure.

“We got booed,” said Bowyer. “It’s disappointing for everybody involved. I don’t know — I saw this coming three weeks ago. I think we all did. Unfortunately, we are going to have to be reactive instead of proactive.

“It’s a learning process, the whole package is. Everybody knew that going in, and everybody has been patient, but I am a little bit out of patience now with Fridays.

“There is so much hard work and dedication by so many teams to go out there and build the fastest car known to mankind inside the walls of their organization, and it just doesn’t matter. That is not racing.

“I feel like we are capable, as an industry, of putting on a better show than this. I know [NASCAR] will take the right [steps] to correct things, but unfortunately, it took something like today to [force] adjustment.”

“I think the crowd booing tells the story,” said Harvick, who deferred to NASCAR about whether a change in the format is necessary. “We do the best that we can, though, to try to put ourselves in the best position; and it was just a handful today.”

Fifth-place qualifier Joey Logano said his No. 22 Team Penske team blew it in the final round, but so did everyone else.

“That’s the game,” he said.

Ryan Newman qualified seventh but was another driver unhappy about how qualifying has played out recently.

“I don’t think that was a very successful use of TV time for our sponsors,” he said. “I told you all back in Vegas that I am still a big fan of single-car qualifying. That is all I need to say, really. That is the way qualifying should be.

“The gamesmanship that goes on now, the lack of giving it 100 percent — that’s not what qualifying is all about.

“But that is the program that NASCAR set forth, the rules they laid down and the box they put us in. Shame on us for not getting a lap in today.”
[Reference Here]

BOOS, Shame, and a less than satisfying Fan Experience was what NASCAR treated the crowd gathered for the only race scheduled for one of the largest concentration of humans a series could have and engage with - at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Toe stubbed in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time - thanks for nuttin', NASCAR.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: Auto Club 400, Auto Club Speedway, Monster Energy Cup, NASCAR, Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Chemical Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing, @ACSupdates, Tom Stahler, The EDJE

The Monster Energy NASCAR Series Auto Club 400 2018 Gets Kicked Off With Dave Allen

Chip Ganassi Racing's Kyle Larson wins the 20th Anniversary celebration checkered flag of the Auto Club 400. Image Credit: Getty Images via ACS (2017)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Series Auto Club 400 2018 Gets Kicked Off With Dave Allen

Dave Allen serves as President of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. In this role, Mr. Allen is responsible for the management and operations of the ISC facility including Auto Club Dragway.

Mr. Allen has been with the Speedway since 1999 after spending one year at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca.  From 2002-2006, Mr. Allen served as Senior Director of Sales and Marketing.  In 2006, Mr. Allen was named Vice President of Sales and Marketing with oversight of all sponsorship, hospitality, suite and consumer sales.

Mr. Allen’s leadership skills have enabled the track to grow with the addition of new events. Today, California’s premier motorsports facility, hosts over 320 days of track activity including a quarter-mile championship dragstrip at Auto Club Dragway, full-service karting facilities and various racing schools and experiences. The track is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation (ISC).

BEGIN
Welcome, DAVE ALLEN, President Auto Club Speedway ...

After last year's Auto Club Speedway celebrating 20 years of racing with a ‘Track Reunion’ theme - NASCAR returns for it's only swing through the LA Basin marketplace in 2018. The Monster Energy NASCAR Series Auto Club 400 is scheduled for the weekend beginning with the Fan Fest Hauler Parade on Thursday, March 15 and concludes with the race being run with the Green Flag dropping at 12:30pm PT.

Auto Club Speedway is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit and the oval has aged to perfection for incredible 4 to 5-wide racing, at times. Fans attending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 race weekend can park free of charge, making race weekend an incredible value full of fun and entertainment.


1)
Auto Club Speedway, again, is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit - over the most recent years, the racing has improved in a steady progression ... beginning with race stage points enhancements - How do you see the Monster Energy NASCAR Series Auto Club 400 play out over last year?

2)
Tell us a little bit on how the 20th year reunion went and how is this going to go forward into this year?

3)
Overall, given what you have seen last year, what has the viewership & attendance been like? Give us a feel what that has been like?

4)
Event Weekend schedule - what do fans need to be looking for? I've noticed in a brief review of the schedule it really has some nice high-points, what do you see as some of the most important pieces that fans should be looking for?

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The NASCAR Auto Club 400 is scheduled for Sunday, March 18, 2018 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Schedule Overview: 

Thursday, March 15: FanFest and NASCAR Hauler Parade
⦁ Free Community Event
⦁ Gates open at 5:00 pm / Event ends at 8 p.m. 
⦁ Hauler Parade at 6:45 pm
⦁ NASCAR Driver Appearances – Q&A

Friday, March 16: NASCAR Qualifying Day and 5.11 Tactical Pole Day
⦁ General admission tickets are $20.00. Kids under 12 are free with a Lefty’s Kids Club membership with paid adult general admission ticket.
Gates open at 10:30 am
⦁ Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying at 4:15 pm 
⦁ Walk of Fame Ceremony: 2017 Auto Club 400 Winner - Kyle Larson at 10 a.m. outside Gate B 

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series leader and Elk Grove, Calif. native Kyle Larson (No. 42, Target Chevrolet) made Auto Club Speedway home sweet home this weekend in 2017 and atoned for runner-up finishes in each of his previous three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts by pulling into victory lane at the 21st Annual Auto Club 400. Image Credit: Getty Images via ACS (2017)

Saturday, March 17: NASCAR Xfinity 300 race
⦁ General admission tickets start at $30.00. Kids under 12 are free with a Lefty’s Kids Club membership with paid adult general admission ticket.
⦁ Gates open at 9:00 am 
⦁ NXS 300 starts at 2:00 pm
⦁ National Anthem and Pre-Race Concert: Temecula Road

Sunday, March 18:  Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 
⦁ Tickets start at $50.00
⦁ Gates open at 7:00 am
⦁ Auto Club 400 starts at 12:30 pm 
⦁ Grand Marshals: The Cast from Super Trooper 2
⦁ National Anthem: Grammy-nominated hitmaker Cassadee Pope 

Cassadee Blake Pope is an American singer, songwriter, and musician whio took part in the third season of The Voice and became the first female winner on December 18, 2012. Her debut solo country album, Frame by Frame, was released on October 8, 2013 to a top 10 Billboard 200 charting. It debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, with 43,000 copies sold in its first week. Pope and her duet partner Chris Young were nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their hit song "Think of You", making her first contestant from The Voice to receive a Grammy nomination. When it comes to Pope's influences - Natalie Imbruglia's Left of the Middle and old Shania Twain, Michelle Branch, Avril, Blink 182 … "I’m kind of all over the board." And then more recently I’m into the new Blake Shelton album, Not Gonna Lie, Hunter Hayes, and Taylor Swift. Pope also mentions Martina McBride as one of her influences. Image Credit: ACS (2018)

Preview YouTube Auto Club 400 >>>
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Jimmy Johnson participates in a Q&A while standing next to the surfboard Richter's Trophy. Image Credit: ACS (2017)

⦁ Tickets for the Auto Club 400 start at $50
⦁ Extended special packages for fans through March 9
⦁ Q&A Session with Six-Time Auto Club 400 winner – Jimmie Johnson includes a ticket to the Auto Club 400, pre-race pit pass and more! Only  $118
⦁ Q&A Session with Chase Elliott – 2-day ticket package includes tix to Auto Club 400 and NXS 300 Only $69.00 
⦁ Drivers Meeting Red Carpet: Get an up-close view of your favorite NASCAR Drivers as they walk down the red carpet to the Drivers Meeting. Plus, Tix to the Auto Club 400 – only $99.50

⦁ To purchase tickets, call 800-944-RACE (7223) or visit ⦁ www.autoclubspeedway.com 

Chase Elliott is scheduled to participate in a fan Q&A session on race day. Image Credit: ACS (2017)

5)
I am aware that winning drivers get to have their hand and footprints placed in cement - are you going to have this ceremony for Chip Ganassi Racing's Kyle Larson?
ENDS

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Auto Club 400, Auto Club Speedway, NASCAR, Monster Energy, @JimmieJohnson,  @NASCAR, #NASCARThrowback, #ACSLove, @KyleLarsonRacin @ChaseElliott, #PitPass, #AutoClub400, @CassadeePope, The EDJE

IndyCar Interrupted At Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix

With the help of Phoenix Raceway's "Speed King" Helio Castroneves, Phoenix Raceway officially broke ground on the Phoenix Raceway Project Powered by DC Solar during a special ceremony at its second annual Verizon IndyCar Series "Prix View" Testing event. Among the many highlights of the Phoenix Raceway Project Powered by DC Solar is a completely redesigned infield featuring a first-of-its-kind garage viewing experience, placing fans face-to-face with the superstars of the sport. Phoenix Raceway's start/finish line will also be re-positioned in Turn 2 just before the track's well-known dog leg. Image Credit: PIR (2010)

IndyCar Interrupted At Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix

Just as in the 1999 Hollywood film named, "Girl Interrupted", this last chapter in a 17 race/chapter season can be titled "IndyCar Interrupted" because of the less than entertaining display that was allowed to take place for the 250 laps that were scheduled. The folks making the competition decisions should be checked into a disorder establishment.

The previous three races/chapters were held at twisty and winding Temporary Street/Dedicated Road courses/tracks. All three races had passing and strategy that left the fan with a fulfilling story of events upon which their entertainment satisfaction was rewarded ... not so with the first oval race of the 2017 season.

Good morning from the Diamond in the Desert! #indycar

A post shared by At A Racetrack (@josh_farmer77) on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:05am PDT

Cars moving along at fast speeds, nose-to-tail, without any chance at these drivers using their skills to pass for position is pretty much a parade for the better part of two hours. Kind of like attending a historic race car event where the cars are worth more than any random fifty cars that are parked in the spectator parking lot.

Until the race/competition management makes a commitment to the "Mushroom Busting" aerodynamics - a concept first introduced by Swift Engineering and used by Dallara in the DW12 -  that brought everyone 80 passes for the lead at the MAVTv500 - Auto Club Speedway's last race - open wheel oval races are boring to witness ... even at 50 mph faster than NASCAR.

No truer thoughts have been expressed in opposition to Hulman & Co. managed racing, especially when everyone knew better, than what's articulated in this piece by Robin Miller.

Fan favorite Robin Miller (L) with friend, Jimi Lehner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Image Credit: Jimi Lehner

This excerpted and edited from Racer Magazine -

MILLER: IndyCar's desert debacle
By Robin Miller, Racer Magazine - Monday, 01 May 2017

If the IndyCar paddock could send a message to the few thousand souls who showed up at Phoenix International Raceway or the people trying to watch Saturday night's race on NBCSN, it would be brief and heartfelt:

We're sorry.

"They should refund everyone's money," one prominent driver said afterward.

Because the first oval-track show of 2017 was a 250-lap dud – 90 minutes of running in place where the leader couldn't lap last place because they were both running the same speed.

The only lead changes came on pit stops, and other than Josef Newgarden early and J.R. Hildebrand late, passing was passé. And an untimely caution removed any chance of drama, scrambled the front-runners and gave Simon Pagenaud a stress-free run to the checkered flag.

But the real downer is that it probably didn't have to be a snoozer.

Following IndyCar's return in 2016 after an 11-year absence, it was obvious something needed to be done about the aero package for this legendary, one-mile track that was built for Indy cars in 1964.

Last year's race was a carbon copy of what transpired on Saturday night so IndyCar staged a test last October to come up with a possible solution.

And Ryan Hunter-Reay felt like it was a success. "We tested different downforce configurations while running together and we found a solution," the 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner said.

The eye of the storm, according to the drivers and teams, was the undertray on the Dallara DW12. Running one without a hole in it allowed the cars to get closer and make passing possible. (And the hole in the under tray is to keep the cars on the ground if they spin and go backward on a superspeedway).

Hunter-Reay lobbied hard for IndyCar to change, but because all of the teams would have had to spend money to fill in the hole, it was decided to remain with the status quo until the new aero kits arrive in 2018.

After last February's open test at PIR, most of the veteran drivers correctly predicted that Saturday night's Desert Diamond Grand Prix of Phoenix would be a stinker without making that change.

"It doesn't make any sense to come back and put on the same show," said Hunter-Reay.

To be fair, Jay Frye and his staff at IndyCar have been great at listening to the paddock, using common sense, thinking ahead and being proactive. Plus, car owners are always bitching about spending extra money with sponsorship dollars hard to secure, so maybe there wasn't a real push to make a change (except by the drivers).

But, looking at the big picture, IndyCar couldn't afford another stinker in Phoenix, and Saturday night could be the death knell to a destination that IndyCar needs to see succeed.

There were fewer people in attendance this year, and the ones who came were put off by 22 laps of caution (why not throw the red flag?) following a first-lap, five-car pileup and then by the drudgery of watching cars run in place. USAC’s Silver Crown prelim on Saturday afternoon was five times more entertaining.

Rookie Ed Jones is good racer doing a damn good job for Dale Coyne, but in his first-ever oval race he managed to keep Dixon, Tony Kanaan and three-fourths of the Team Penske armada behind him for 20 laps.

The magic of a mile oval is traffic and how the leaders deal with it. But that was non-existent again on Saturday night, and Firestone's tires seemed to be too good and too consistent, so there was no major grip loss.

There is one year left on the Phoenix contract. PIR's Bryan Sperber has embraced IndyCar like few ISC tracks ever have, and his relationship with Frye is a big reason why IndyCar is back in the desert where it belongs.

Talk of trying to run Long Beach and Phoenix back-to-back like the old days or possibly even make PIR the season finale is all good. And there's little doubt that next year's aero package will make the racing much better. It couldn't be any worse.

But the worry is, how do you get anybody who paid for Saturday night's abysmal show to come back in 2018?

"I think the fans deserve a better show than we gave them," said Tony Kanaan. "I hope they give us another chance."
[Reference Here]

The Sun pierces through the empty grand stands to splash Graham Rahal with a shaft of afternoon light during a warm-up run before qualifications at Phoenix International Raceway. Image Credit: Chris Jones via IndyCar (2017) 

Plus these edited and excerpted additional thoughts by Turnology's Thomas Stahler -

Tom’s Take: Is IndyCar Done with Ovals? They should be.
By Tom Stahler - Tuesday, 02 May 2017

In case you missed it over the weekend — and based on TV Ratings and the two thousand people in the stands: you did — there was IndyCar’s triumphant return of the series to Phoenix International Raceway — which was left wanting for a crowd and a race. Aside from the annual pilgrimage to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, perhaps it is very sadly time to put the ovals to sleep like a cancerous dog. Put a fork in them. They are done — perhaps even overcooked! For the promoters at PIR who really did all they could to boost the event, I am heartbroken.

A first lap crash, then 22 laps behind a safety car followed by a single file high speed parade, with little or no dicing for the lead, made what could have been an event win for promoters, a total wash. But, chew on this: IndyCar may have a way of redeeming itself by eradicating the oval races. Easily, and for many, this could be seen as a statement of blaspheme as USAC and Champ Cars cut their teeth and have a deeply embedded history on the ovals. Unfortunately, this is not where the sweet spot for the series has maintained.

I have been to the last races at the Milwaukee Mile and Auto Club (California) Speedway, both ovals, in the last three years and can tell you, it has changed — and not for the better. The racing is usually great. The super speedways produce monstrous speed and three wide wheel to wheel racing. A one mile oval can produce some intense cat and mouse fights through traffic… For the 2017 Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, this was not to be.
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Consider also, ovals — including the triangle shaped Pocono has produced the last two fatalities in the series: Dan Wheldon and Justin Wilson.

IndyCar has been the most embattled series in racing, going back almost 30 years. The politics and numerous bad choices have destroyed what was perhaps the best and most competitive series in the history of racing — and that includes Formula One and NASCAR! 
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By 1991 Tony George, grandson of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hullman, pulled the Speedway away from the CART series and started his own “Indy Racing League” in an effort to bring IndyCar racing back to its roots — while still a controversial topic, most enthusiasts still see this as the moment open wheel racing was destroyed in North America. NASCAR, who had only had their first nationally telecast race in 1979, flew to the front as the preeminent North American racing series in the 1990’s — on ovals!

By 2003, CART had gone bankrupt and the Indy Racing League, completely subsidized by the Hullman Family and strictly running on ovals, moved ahead with competing race teams — but sadly not in spectators. 
----
With the exception of last year’s 100th running, even the Indy 500 has had to flail to get 33 starters for the legendary race in the last two and a half decades. But the series has made strides in the last several years to become more like the racing varietals of its most popular era, where the cars ran on ovals, road and street circuits. But the cache of ovals seems to be dying — even at NASCAR, who has seen their attendance down nearly 50% in the last several years.

The road courses, however, are working — as are the street circuits. A visit to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, three weeks ago, saw an enormous crowd, bolstered by being in a metropolitan city center with tons of excitement and activity. The racing and the show is still viable.
----
Sadly, oval racing has lost its luster despite what potentially produces great speed and maneuvering. 
The teams voted on it and decided they did not want to spend the money on the aero “fix”, opting instead to change this feature for next year when the new IndyCar is produced. This led to the 20-car field, which lost five cars in a first lap incident, being a long line, where the leaders couldn’t even catch the back markers. Bo-ring!

The real losers in this deal are the promoters of 2017 Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, who find the sponsors, put up the prize money and sell the tickets and hot dogs. Saturday night at the short track is still an American phenomenon, but IndyCars on any oval beyond the Indy 500 is just a dud. An unnamed driver suggested that the sub-5000 tickets that were sold should be refunded. That is just criminal!

There is much criticism out there for IndyCar, but in essence, the series has done much in the last several years to “work with what they have” and perpetuate the show. But if empty stands and a “Formula Sleeping Pill” parade is any indication, the series may want to rethink where it races. I have been told many years in business: “Know your customer.” Perhaps it is time for Indy car to go where the customers are and reach them properly.
[Reference Here]

Phoenix International Raceway is excited about the next round of changes and improvements scheduled for the track headed by DC Solar. Officials with International Speedway Corp., and Phoenix Raceway jointly announced plans for a $178 million facelift for the 1-mile facility that focuses on improving the fan experience while also including a competition twist that will see the relocation of the track’s start/finish line. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

Track Improvement Video Here >>>

Best Comment - Philippe de Lespinay
There is nothing wrong with IndyCars racing on oval circuits, even one-mile jobs such as Phoenix. There is EVERYTHING WRONG with the CARS, that are built in exactly the opposite format of what they should be like. The IMS and IRL mantra of more down force, less power (to provide "close" racing, no doubt) is STUPID, just as in F1, also dying of lack of interest.

The true solution is LESS down force and MORE power. Designing better looking cars similar to the (old but gorgeous) Reynards and Lolas from the 1990s would also not hurt much. The mistake was made by Mr. George, that pathetic heir to what used to be great, by selecting HIS car builder (AKA Dallara of Italy) instead of the American Panoz chassis that was not only far better looking but also a far better and far less expensive option. 

Now what?
ENDS

This confirms the other bone-headed attitudes that led to the demise of the most exciting oval venue, also owned by ICS, formally on the VICS schedule - Auto Club Speedway. Never placing a date equity and an insistence on ending the season before NFL Pro Football gets its declining popularity of a season in full gear (Hulman & Co. love and follow the Colts and do not wish to have this devotion interrupted by managing the closing the season of a racing series). These folks just love to do things that are counter to clear logic in the pursuit of personal interests.

Why are they even in the business of entertainment, on the large multi-venue scale, when everyone knows the only venue that matters to them is the one that consumes the Month Of May? We should probably count ourselves as lucky as fans, just to be able to have a dedicated road course event and the Indy 500 in May so as not to become bored with the whole thing that has become overly managed formula racing.

It's IndyCar Interrupted, and as with the 1999 movie ... management needs to be checked-in.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: Phoenix International Raceway, Auto Club Speedway, Hulman & Co., Month Of May, Mushroom Busting, Aerodynamics, Oval Racing, Temporary Street Courses, Dedicated Road Courses, Owners, Drivers, Jay Frye, Attendance, The EDJE 

Sit Down Talk With ACS’s Dave Allen Before 20th Reunion At Auto Club 400 Weekend

Sit Down Talk With ACS’s Dave Allen Before 20th Reunion At Auto Club 400 Weekend

The NASCAR Auto Club 400 is scheduled for Sunday, March 26, 2017 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY

Tickets for the Auto Club 400 start at $41 /  After March 11– tickets start at $45.

To purchase tickets, call 800-944-RACE (7223) or visit http://www.autoclubspeedway.com

In 2017, Auto Club Speedway celebrates its 20th Anniversary with  a ‘Track Reunion’ theme. The Auto Club 400 race is NASCAR’S only stop in Southern California.

Auto Club Speedway is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit and the oval has aged to perfection for incredible racing.

Weekend Schedule:

FanFest and Hauler Parade – Thursday, March 23 from 5-9 p.m.
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - 5.11 Tactical Pole Day: Friday, March 24
NASCAR XFINITY Series 300 Race: Saturday, March 25 at 1 p.m. on FS1
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400: Sunday, March 26 March 12:30 p.m. on FOX.

Auto Club Speedway Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Auto Club Speedway is celebrating 20 years of racing with a ‘Track Reunion’ theme at Southern California’s premier motorsports venue between now and March 24-26, 2017 when NASCAR makes its only stop in Southern California for Auto Club 400 Weekend.

Motorsport milestones from Roger Penske’s vision of a world-class facility in Southern California to Jeff Gordon’s inaugural California 500 in 1997. From Gil de Ferran’s closed course qualifying world record of 241+MPH run in 2000 to Jimmie Johnson’s (aka Superman) visit to Victory Lane in 2016.  Interactive timeline: http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/reunion

20th Anniversary Fan Experiences:

A special Q&A with racing legends Richard Petty, Michael Waltrip and Rusty Wallace will be open to all fans on the main stage in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fan Zone on Sunday morning – Auto Club 400 race day.

Historic show cars on display throughout the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fan Zone – Jeff Gordon’s 1997 race car from Inaugural race; Jimmie Johnson’s Superman car and other surprises.

FanFest and New Hauler Parade route returns on Thursday, March 23, 2017 – a free community event featuring NASCAR driver appearances, live music, vendors and family-friendly entertainment in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fan Zone at Auto Club Speedway. FEATURED Music Act - No Duh - No Doubt cover band.

New Post-Race Concert on Saturday after NASCAR XFINITY Race – Los Lobos will perform in the fan zone on the main stage beginning around 4 p.m.

About Dave Allen – Auto Club Speedway President:

Dave Allen serves as President of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. In this role, Mr. Allen is responsible for the management and operations of the ISC facility including Auto Club Dragway.

Mr. Allen has been with the Speedway since 1999 after spending one year at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca.  From 2002-2006, Mr. Allen served as Senior Director of Sales and Marketing.  In 2006, Mr. Allen was named Vice President of Sales and Marketing with oversight of all sponsorship, hospitality, suite and consumer sales.

Mr. Allen’s leadership skills have enabled the track to grow with the addition of new events including Hard Summer Music Festival and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: Auto Club Speedway, Monster Energy, NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY, FanFest, Hauler Parade, No Duh, Los Lobos, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Dave Allen, The EDJE

Penske NASCAR Driver, Joey Logano Drives With Thomas Stahler

Penske NASCAR Driver, Joey Logano Drives With Thomas Stahler

In advance of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visiting Auto Club Speedway for the Auto Club 400 race weekend, Penske Racing driver, Joey Logano visits the Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo.

Joey Logano (right) pictured here with the President of Auto Club Speedway, Dave Allen as they tour the Automobile Driving Museum (ADM) in El Segundo. The ADM collection of over 130 vehicles is broad and diverse; it includes cars from the earliest days of self-propelled vehicles, through examples of muscle cars. The fleet is fueled and ready to go! Each Sunday the ADM selects three cars and provide rides for their guests. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

After getting a tour of the inside of the museum from the museum docent, Joey sat down with Dave Allen, President of Auto Club Speedway, for a few questions before adjourning to the Automobile Driving Museum's ice cream parlor for a little treat.

Then it was time to drive a few classic cars and entertain a few questions from those gathered to take in the event. After all, this was what the Automobile Driving Museum is all about ... being able to view and DRIVE very classic rolling stock from years past.

Tom Stahler with his latest Porsche project he named ... Project 986 -"Little Bastard". Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2017)

As Tom Stahler, OnMotorsports, stated on his Facebook posting of this video above ... "If Seinfeld can do it, why not us? We went for a drive in a 1961 Ford Thunderbird with 2015 Daytona 500 Champion Joey Logano. We talked Team Penske. Thanks to our friends at Auto Club Speedway and the Automobile Driving Museum! Looking forward to the Auto Club 400 March 26!"

Joey Logano really enjoyed the process given that he is an avid fan of motor culture and automotive history as an active winning Monster Energy NASCAR driver sponsored by Auto Club (currently P5 after 3 races in a 39 race season) and collector of interesting cars.

Tom finished his posting with - "Nice drive yesterday... with a Daytona 500 champ!" ... it certainly was.

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Joey Logano, Auto Club 400, Penske Racing, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Auto Club Speedway,  Dave Allen, Tom Stahler, OnMotorsports, Automobile Driving Museum, El Segundo, The EDJE

Auto Club 400 Previewed By Dave Allen, President Of Auto Club Speedway

Auto Club 400 Previewed By Dave Allen, President Of Auto Club Speedway

Dave Allen serves as President of Auto Club Speedway.

Allen, 41, a 17-year veteran in the sports marketing industry, is responsible for all operations of Auto Club Speedway and Auto Club Dragway.

He was named president of the Speedway in December, 2014. Allen has served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Speedway since 2006. As Vice President, Allen oversaw the marketing, sales and ticketing departments.

From his early childhood karting days at Laguna Seca to Crew Chief of a World of Outlaws Sprint car team to his rise as the President of Auto Club Speedway, Dave Allen has grown up in the motorsports world and is a race fan at heart. Coming from a racing family, Allen has seen the sport grow from both the competition side and the business side and has applied his knowledge and know-how to move up motorsports’ executive ladder.



Welcome, DAVE ALLEN, President Auto Club Speedway ...

We find ourselves at the beginning of a NASCAR season that has seen some changes in the aerodynamics to a lower downforce set up in the hopes of increasing the competition on the track.

1)
Auto Club Speedway is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit - over the most recent years, the racing, especially NASCAR Racing, has improved in a steady progression ... How do you see a race play out with this lower downforce set up?

2)
Today, we are presently experiencing a second round of El Nino weather activity - what are the weather forecasts telling you as to what to expect for the Auto Club 400 activities between March 17th when the transporter roll in and set up, to the race itself on March 20th?

3)
What kind of questions are you hearing from NASCAR on FOX and what do you think they are expecting from the races at Auto Club Speedway?

4)
Starting with St. Patrick's day, March 17th and working through the event weekend, what should fans look for?

The NASCAR Auto Club 400 is scheduled for Sunday, March 20, 2016 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Weekend Schedule:

Thursday, March 17: St. Paddy’s Day FanFest presented by Bubba Burger and NASCAR Sprint Cup Hauler Parade

Friday, March 18: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. PT.

Saturday, March 19: NASCAR Xfinity Race: 1 p.m. PT  on FS1.

Sunday, March 20: NASCAR Sprint Cup Auto Club 400: 12:30 PT on FOX.

Preview YouTube Auto Club 400 >>>
----

Tickets for the Auto Club 400 start at $41.

After March 11– tickets start at $46.

To purchase call 800-944-RACE or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com

The Auto Club 400 race is NASCAR’S only stop in Southern California and is a part of the NASCAR Goes West campaign.

Fans attending the Auto Club 400 weekend can park free of charge, making race weekend an incredible value full of fun and entertainment.

5)
I am aware that winning IndyCar drivers get to have their hand and footprints placed in cement - are you going to have this ceremony for these NASCAR drivers?
ENDS

... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: Auto Club Speedway, ACS,  NASCAR, Xfinity, Sprint Cup, St. Paddy’s Day FanFest, Bubba Burger, NASCAR Sprint Cup Hauler Parade, FOX Sports, The EDJE

Interview - Dave Allen President Of Auto Club Speedway Before Auto Club 400

Interview - Dave Allen President Of Auto Club Speedway Before Auto Club 400

Dave Allen serves as President of Auto Club Speedway.

Allen, 41, a 17-year veteran in the sports marketing industry, is responsible for all operations of Auto Club Speedway and Auto Club Dragway.

He was named president of the Speedway in December, 2014. Allen has served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Speedway since 2006. As Vice President, Allen oversaw the marketing, sales and ticketing departments.

From his early childhood karting days at Laguna Seca to Crew Chief of a World of Outlaws Sprint car team to his rise as the President of Auto Club Speedway, Dave Allen has grown up in the motorsports world and is a race fan at heart. Coming from a racing family, Allen has seen the sport grow from both the competition side and the business side and has applied his knowledge and know-how to move up motorsports’ executive ladder.

Welcome, DAVE ALLEN, President Auto Club Speedway ...

We find ourselves at the beginning of a NASCAR season that has seen some changes in the aerodynamics to a lower downforce set up in the hopes of increasing the competition on the track.

1)
Auto Club Speedway is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit - over the most recent years, the racing, especially NASCAR Racing, has improved in a steady progression ... How do you see a race play out with this lower downforce set up?

2)
Today, we are presently experiencing a second round of El Nino weather activity - what are the weather forecasts telling you as to what to expect for the Auto Club 400 activities between March 17th when the transporter roll in and set up, to the race itself on March 20th?

3)
What kind of questions are you hearing from NASCAR on FOX and what do you think they are expecting from the races at Auto Club Speedway?

4)
Starting with St. Patrick's day, March 17th and working through the event weekend, what should fans look for?

The NASCAR Auto Club 400 is scheduled for Sunday, March 20, 2016 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Weekend Schedule:

Thursday, March 17: St. Paddy’s Day FanFest presented by Bubba Burger and NASCAR Sprint Cup Hauler Parade

Friday, March 18: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. PT.

Saturday, March 19: NASCAR Xfinity Race: 1 p.m. PT  on FS1.

Sunday, March 20: NASCAR Sprint Cup Auto Club 400: 12:30 PT on FOX.

----

Tickets for the Auto Club 400 start at $41.

After March 11– tickets start at $46.

To purchase call 800-944-RACE or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com

The Auto Club 400 race is NASCAR’S only stop in Southern California and is a part of the NASCAR Goes West campaign.

Fans attending the Auto Club 400 weekend can park free of charge, making race weekend an incredible value full of fun and entertainment.

5)
I am aware that winning IndyCar drivers get to have their hand and footprints placed in cement - are you going to have this ceremony for these NASCAR drivers?
ENDS

... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: Auto Club Speedway, ACS, NASCAR, Xfinity, Sprint Cup, St. Paddy’s Day FanFest, Bubba Burger, NASCAR Sprint Cup Hauler Parade, FOX Sports, The EDJE

Naughty Or Nice For 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Placed Under The Tree

Scott Dixon on 'pit-out' at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach ... a race he finally won for the first time in his IndyCar career. This race win helped Dixon to achieve his fourth American Open-Wheel Racing championship secured on lap 51 by never giving up the lead for the win of the final race, GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma held at Sonoma Raceway. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Naughty Or Nice For 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Placed Under The Tree

To many who have followed professional American open-wheel automobile racing over these last fifty plus years, in terms of talent in the paddocks on both teams and drivers, the 2015 season would easily rank in the top five all-time seasons.

The 2015 season was the first season that featured the new rules governing aerodynamic body panels manufactured by Dallara but utilizing input and designs dictated/negotiated by the manufacturer of the engines used by each team - Chevrolet or Honda. Once each team was given the solution of body and wing parts to use on the racing platform, within limits, the teams could decide upon the configurations and settings allowed.

One million possible adjustment combinations with the Honda/Dallara aero-package. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Early in the season, the cars that ran Honda seemed to be a bit behind Chevrolet on in and out cornering speed ... to wit Honda put forth, (paraphrased) our wing and body panels can be configured in about a million different ways given all of the options available. The problem with this potential breadth of choice options, once a proper engineering set up has become competitive with the more simple approach settled on by Chevrolet, about 999,000 options for adjustment become useless or irrelevant.

So on this issue ... who's Nice or Naughty?

The manufacturer, the engineering staff who figured out the best set-ups?, or the overall rules package crafted by the Verizon IndyCar Management?

In an effort to place the gifts of this season under the tree, Josh Farmer's Championship Racing Radio in show #4, with Edmund Jenks, seeks to discuss the Best (Nice) and Worst (Naughty) of this 2015 breakout season that began with an out of country race cancellation in Brazil without having a make-up race be run at any time for the balance of the season.

The discussion in show #4, however, will not focus on Verizon IndyCar Management but, rather, the races run, teams, and drivers.

Management, for the most part, may qualify for a lump of coal beginning with their policy of "Race Control By Committee" which had the person who was in charge of this policy - Derrick Walker - resign from the position after 2/3ds of the season had been put to bed ... with cookies and milk.

Championship Racing Radio 4: Naughty or Nice?

Time of show: (45 minutes at the maximum)
Intro: (Less than 5 minutes) introduce ourselves.
Rest of show: Best/worst of the 2015 IndyCar season in the theme of Naughty or Nice list. We both talk about who we think is the best driver


●    Nice List

○    Best Driver – Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon - The driver from Auckland, New Zealand kept his cool and capitalized on an unbelievable mistake by Team Penske midway through the race. That allowed Dixon to win his fourth Verizon IndyCar Series championship with a victory in season finale's Go Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma race (ht: Bruce Martin)

○    Best Race – Farmer - MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway | Jenks - Honda Indy Grand Prix Of Alabama, Barber Motorsports Park (road/street course) - MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway (superspeedway, oval course)

○    Best Rookie – Farmer - Bryan Herta Autosport's Gabby Chaves | Jenks - Bryan Herta Autosport's Gabby Chaves – Total Laps was 2nd best after Ryan Hunter Reay (2211 – RHR 2218) - Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Sage Karam - Honorable Mention 12 races – 2 Top 5 / 2 top 10 – excitement generated – No ride this season with 3 seats open – SPM / KV Racing / Dale Coyne

○    Best Move –  Penske Racing's Will Power – Sonoma for the Verizon P1 Pole Award - Will Power saw the performance CFH Racing's Josef Newgarden was able to do by placing Black sidewall tires on his Dallara so Will ordered up a set be placed on his Chevy and with the last seconds of qualifications winding down, snatched the Verizon P1 Pole Award away from Newgarden.

○    Most Improved driver – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal – He improved so much as a driver, it made him marriageable – Courtney Force and Graham got married Nov. 21, 2015 and are honeymooning in Fiji and New Zealand.

Ryan Briscoe before he took to the track at the MAVTv500, Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Ken Manfred (2015)

○    Best underdog – Farmer - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Conor Daly (points for Detroit) - Dale Coyne Racing's Tristan Vautier (showed great promise behind substitution runs) | Jenks - Schmidt Peterson Motorsports' Ryan Briscoe – 8 Races – ½ season – 1 Top 5 / 4 Top 10 / 2 DNF … one DNF at ACS on last lap caused by Ryan Hunter Reay


●    Naughty List

○    Worst Driver – Farmer - Dale Coyne Racing's Francesco Dracone (never finished in the Top 20) | Jenks - KV Racing Technology's Stefano Colitti – 16 Races with 5 DNF / Dale Coyne Racing's Francesco Dracone – 5 Races with 2 DNF - Josh Farmer compared Francesco Dracone as being "as slow as Milka Duno." Edmund Jenks asked Josh, "So you believe that Dracone is Milka Duno without the mascara? ... as far as we know, right?

○    Worst Race – Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana "NOLA"

Penske Racing's Simon Pagenaud leaves the track after contesting space with Ryan Hunter-Reay and take a mud ride. This image, with Andretti Autosport's Marco Andretti in the foreground, was taken at the beginning of an accident that colored the late stages of the shortened race at NOLA. Image Credit: Bret Kelley - VICS (2015)

○    Worst Move - Farmer - Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay (2015 P6) - The final full course YELLOW Flag came from a massive incident between Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Hunter-Reay (RHR), and Simon Pageneud (on the outside) as the drivers attempted to go three-wide in turn 3. RHR ended up pushing Pagenaud off of the track | Jenks - Penske Racing's Will Power - Diving move in Turn 10 at St. Petersburg on teammate Juan Pablo Montoya with many laps remaining in the race. It turns out that these two drivers got together during the final race of the season at Sonoma Raceway. Given that both drivers were in the hunt for the championship, one wonders if these points were able to be retained, would Scott Dixon have his 4th IndyCar crown.

Pageneud slid off the track into the mud, and then back on the track in the next right-hand corner 4, collecting Hunter-Reay and Bourdais sending all three cars across the grass.

Bourdais slides to the tire wall and hits broadsides cracking the hull of his No. 11 Dallara (all preceding crash images by Bret Kelley for IndyCar)

Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves in the pits at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Qualified well at many 2015 venues but just could not make the performances stick. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

○    Most disappointing driver - Farmer - Penske Racing's Simon Pagenaud (high hopes not realized - 2015 P11) - CFH Racing's Ed Carpenter (better set up with Conway last year - 2015 P27) | Jenks - Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves (2015 P5) - What was more surprising: Helio going without a win for only the second time in the past 16 IndyCar seasons, or his comparative disappearance at Indianapolis, where he's always expected to vie for the win? It's probably his not visiting Victory Lane, especially considering it was one of Helio's best-ever seasons in terms of qualifying. His four poles were complemented by the fact he never started worse than fifth through the first 11 races and his average starting spot was a dazzling fourth for 16 races. He lost Long Beach only because of a long pit stop to avoid contact. As for Indianapolis, other than his thrilling duel with RHR in 2014, the three-time winner has not been a factor at IMS the past few Mays but this year was more puzzling because of Chevy's obvious advantage. Finishing seventh and leading only two laps is not what three-time Indy kings are made of and it was the only oval he never really looked like a factor (ht: Racer, Robin Miller)

After a 14 months total transformation that shrouded the exterior with ribbons of stainless steel and an interior pack with priceless vehicles and cutting edge technology, the Peterson Automotive Museum at the gateway of Los Angeles famed museum row has reopened on time on budget and packed with hundreds of new sites sounds and experiences for visitors of all ages. This image is what one sees traveling South on Fairfax just before Wilshire Blvd.. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015) #thepetersenmuseum #petersen #mpg #thepetersen

A photo posted by Edmund Jenks (@the_edje) on Dec 3, 2015 at 7:43pm PST

●    Anything else that we might want to cover - If anyone finds themselves in the Los Angeles area over the holidays, make a special trip to the newly renovated and re-opened Petersen Automotive Museum which resumed operations December 7, 2015.

Named 10 best automotive museums in the world by CNN.

Precious Metal display room at the Petersen Museum. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

The Petersen Automotive Museum

EVERYDAY 10AM - 6PM

6060 WILSHIRE BLVD
LOS ANGELES, CA 90036

(323) 930-CARS (2277)

Here's hoping that all who happen to follow Verizon IndyCar Series never see a lump of coal and are always thought of by Santa Claus as ... Nice!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.


... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Verizon IndyCar Series, Graham Rahal, Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Stefano Colitti, Francesco Dracone, Will Power, Verizon P1 Pole Award, Barber Motorsports Park, Auto Club Speedway, Derrick Walker, Josh Farmer, Championship Racing Radio, Edmund Jenks, Petersen Automotive Museum,